


Advantageous Arrangements

by Elioren



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - No Kwamis, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Chloe is still a bitch, Comfort, Delinquent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Love Triangle, No kwami, Online Relationship, Punk, Rebel AU, Romance, This will be multi-chaptered, Video Game AU, WARNING - SOME SEXUAL IMPLICATIONS/SITUATIONS, WARNING- SOME STRONG LANGUAGE, bad boy!Adrien, no powers, rebel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 06:49:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11156517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elioren/pseuds/Elioren
Summary: In high school, there are rules you must follow. Raise your hand when asking a question, speak softly in the library, do not sit in someone else’s assigned seat.And above all else, the unspoken rule: do not fraternize with individuals outside of your social group.Marinette Dupain-Cheng was what most people would consider an “outsider.” She had very few acquaintances and kept to herself nearly all of the time. Because of this, she was pinned as an easy target for the bullies. Her only solace was through online video games, where she could talk to one of her only friends in the world, Chat Noir.When the class tyrant takes her harassment a step too far, Marinette finds herself saved by none other than the school dreamboat and leader of the delinquents, Adrien Agreste. Her debt must be repaid somehow, but what could he possibly want with a simple girl like her?-Rebel/Badboy!Adrien AU-





	1. Serendipitous Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First impressions mean a lot.

 

**_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_ **

 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng groaned and rolled over under the covers, desperately trying to block out the horrid noise. She shoved her head under her mountain of pillows and sighed in relief when she could no longer hear her alarm ringing in her ears. Just as she started to feel the embrace of sleep grip her, she felt a nudge on her leg.

“Marinette!” Her mother’s voice called, “You’re going to be late for school!”

Immediately, the raven-haired girl shrieked and dashed out of bed to get dressed. Marinette’s mother, Sabine, merely sighed. She had grown used to waking her daughter up, as the girl was frequently late to class.

“Sorry, _Maman,_ ” Marinette apologized as she put on her coat, “I was up late last night.”

“Playing video games, I assume?” Sabine sent Marinette a knowing glance, making the young girl’s cheeks flare up.

“N-not the entire night. I did some design work too.” The two headed downstairs where Marinette’s father, Tom, was preparing breakfast.

“I’ve got chocolate chip pancakes this morning,” The large man said, putting a plate of food in front of Marinette. The steam from the fresh pancakes wafted up to Marinette’s nose, enticing her to gobble the whole plate down at once. The perks of having bakers for parents.

Thirty minutes later she was heading up the steps to school, a pink backpack slung over her shoulder. She kept her head down as she passed different groups of people, not wanting to engage in conversation with anyone. The courtyard was filled with sounds of morning chatter and friends laughing amongst themselves. As she walked, she heard something clatter onto the ground, and she turned around to see what it was.

A boy was kneeling behind her, picking something up. Marinette thought that he had simply dropped something, so she shook her head and continued on her way to class. When she arrived, she sat down in her usual seat in the second row.

“Morning,” a familiar voice said from beside her. Marinette turned and smiled sweetly, realizing it was the girl that sat next to her, Alya Césaire. They were pretty friendly with each other but didn’t hang out much outside of class.

“Good morning,” she replied. The two girls pulled out their school supplies and got prepared for class to start. As Marinette bent down to retrieve her pencil pouch, a pair of white pumps appeared in her line of sight.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Marinette groaned. _Chloé Bourgeois._

It was impossible to mistake that haughty voice for anyone else. The daughter of the Mayor of Paris, André Bourgeois, put herself on a pedestal made of diamonds. Her hobbies included, but were not limited to: shopping, complaining, and bullying Marinette.

“Morning, Chloé,” Marinette said. _It’s too early for this._ She hoped she could get the blonde to leave her alone for once.

“Everyone saw you stumbling through the courtyard. How embarrassing, you even dropped things along the way.” She flipped her long ponytail behind her shoulder, nearly smacking her lackey, Sabrina, in the face. Though the two had been friends since childhood, Chloé treated the short redhead more like a servant than anything.

“I was up late working last night, something you’ll never understand.” Marinette tried to block her out and focus on getting her homework, but Chloé persisted.

“I have people, like Sabrina, who do my work for me. Why bother with something that can be solved with money?” She sipped her coffee as Sabrina nodded behind her, firmly agreeing.

“Because not everything revolves around you and your money, Chloé. The only way to get anywhere in life is through hard work, and you haven’t lifted a finger since the day you were born. Like you said, why bother when your daddy can get you everything you’ve ever wanted?”

“You should really know when to shut up.” Chloé glared at her, giving her a final chance to back down.

“Practice what you preach.”

 

**_Splash!_ **

 

“Whoops, my hand must have slipped.” Chloé smiled smugly at Marinette’s homework, which was now drenched with coffee. Marinette quickly rushed to stop the liquid from dripping over the edge of the table while Alya grabbed her towel out of her gym bag.

“What the hell, Chloé?” Alya yelled, drawing the attention of their classmates.

“It’s her fault for not knowing her place.” She grinned at Sabrina, who returned her devious look.

Before either girl could retort, a shadow loomed from behind Chloe. The blonde whipped around in surprise before her expression turned to delight.

“Adrikins! What are you doing here so early?” She gripped the other teen’s arm, smiling up at him sweetly.

Marinette’s stomach dropped. She knew that blonde quiff, black beanie, and pierced ears. They sat in front of her every day. Adrien Agreste, leader of the delinquents, the rebels, stood towering over her desk. She raised her head and met his startling green gaze, which stared back at her with misplaced intensity.

“You dropped this,” he said in a smooth voice, holding out his hand. Marinette ripped her eyes from his and looked at what he presented to her. Her cell phone.

“Th-thanks,” she stuttered. He looked down at her soaking homework, which was still sitting on the desk. His sharp eyes flicked towards Chloé and back to Marinette before he shrugged the blonde girl off and went to sit down in his seat. Chloé watched their interaction intently, letting nothing go unnoticed.

“This isn’t over,” she growled, turning to get herself ready for class as well. Not like there would be much for her to do, as Sabrina took all her notes anyways.

Marinette sighed and lifted her homework, wadding it up into a wet ball. She wiped the rest of the coffee up with Alya’s towel and went to throw her work in the trash. As she sulked back to her seat, her eyes met Adrien’s once again. He grabbed her arm as she passed, placing a folded up paper in her palm. She looked back at him again, but he didn’t raise his head. Instead, she sat down and unfolded the sheet of notebook paper, which confused her for a moment. It simply had a list of numbers. Then, she recognized them as the answers to the homework. Was he letting her copy off of him?

Marinette quickly finished the assignment for the second time, attempting to get it completed before their teacher arrived for class. Luckily, she did and was able to hide the answer sheet with a few minutes to spare.

The class progressed normally, with several students falling asleep during the lecture. Whose idea was it to make math their first class of the day, anyway? When the bell rang, signaling the end of their first period, Marinette tapped Adrien on the shoulder.

“H-hey,” she said shyly. She’d never talked to him before. “Thanks for earlier.”

Adrien stared at her for a moment before narrowing his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He grabbed his messenger bag and walked out of class, leaving Marinette in a state of confusion. Chloé and Sabrina trailed behind him, glaring at the short girl as they exited the classroom.

“What’s her problem?” Alya asked incredulously, watching them as well.

“No idea,” Marinette replied, “She’s hated me ever since our first year.”

“Sorry for not doing anything earlier,” Alya apologized, “I didn’t know how to react.”

“It’s alright, it’s not your fault. I’ll see you later.” Marinette smiled and gathered her papers. She headed to her next class, World History. It was the only one she didn’t find horrendously boring. And the best part: no Chloé.

After a long and intriguing discussion on the French and Indian War, it was finally time for lunch. Marinette opened her bag and began heading for the library, the one place on campus she was sure to not be disturbed. The librarian, Mrs. Roux, was annoyed when she kept sneaking in to eat, despite the “no food” policy. But after a few weeks of this, she got used to Marinette’s company and even joined her on occasion.  
As Marinette continued down the hall past the numerous classrooms, her eyes caught a large group of people huddled in a circle in the center of the courtyard. From the second story of the school, she could see into the center from above. It seemed like two people were getting into a brawl. From the flash of pink she saw on the shorter person’s head, it was probably Alix Kubdel and Kim Chiến Lê. Those two were always starting fist fights to prove who was stronger. While Kim had the brute strength, Alix was sprightly and agile.

“Come on, Alix! Are you scared?” She heard Kim goad her on, confirming Marinette’s hunch.

“I ain’t scared of you, ya’ big ape,” said Alix’s much higher voice. Marinette turned to continue towards the library, clutching her sandwich in her hand. She wasn’t interested in fights—she got into enough of them with Chloé.

The crowd of people let out a collective gasp, drawing Marinette’s attention back to them. Adrien stood in the center, clutching his face. Even from this distance, Marinette could see the color drain from Kim’s face as panic set in. Chloé rushed to Adrien’s side, attempting to get a better look at his face, but he shrugged her off. He moved his hand and wiped his nose, and Marinette could see a streak of red.

 _Did Kim hit him on accident?_ She saw Adrien tilt his head back to stop the bleeding as Kim frantically apologized. Adrien was, after all, their boss. Everyone followed him without question.

Just before she continued on her way once again, his eyes flicked to her. Why was he looking at her so much today? When his gaze didn’t waver, Chloé followed his line of sight to Marinette and gave her a look that could kill. Marinette shook her head and headed towards the library, walking at a slightly faster pace than normal.

After she finished eating she headed to her science class, trying to avoid Chloe’s glare as much as possible. She managed to push through her last few classes of the day and get home without any further altercations, plopping down in her desk chair as soon as she entered her bedroom.

Without hesitation, she turned on her computer and fired up her favorite game, _Ultimate Mecha Strike III._  Marinette scrolled through her friends list until her eyes landed on the name Chat Noir. The cat GIF he had as his profile picture moved as her mouse hovered over it, licking the screen with its cartoon tongue.

Marinette met Chat Noir several months before during a random online match of UMS3. She’d gone easy on him the first time, but only once. He was now intent on being better than her, though she always felt as if he was holding back for some reason. She opened their chat log, displaying another window with rows of messages from the night before.

 

 

Tuesday - 4:13 PM

 

_**Ladybug:** Yo, Chat! You up for a game of UMS? :)_

 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

_**Chat Noir:** Always, LB. But I know you’re just going to beat my ass anyways._

 

_**Ladybug:** Probably. You’ve managed to win before, though._

 

_**Chat Noir:** Alright, give me a sec. Gonna get some food real quick._

 

_**Chat Noir:** K, back. You ready to get served?_

 

_**Ladybug:** As if. Get your furry behind in the game so I can kick it._

 

Marinette plugged her controller in as the mecha selection appeared on the screen. She chose LB-03, her usual mech. Chat Noir decided on NAD03, though that wasn’t a surprise. The black cat aesthetic drew him in the moment he laid eyes on the character.

Her computer rang as the loading screen began, displaying Chat’s Skype profile on screen. Marinette slipped on her headset and answered the call, hearing the static as they connected.

“Hello, my dearest Ladybug,” Chat’s voice greeted, “Wonderful day for some mecha fights.”

“Ah, my kitty in shining armor,” Marinette giggled, “I was wondering when you’d call.”

“How many rounds are we playing? Shall we stay up until dawn like last night?” Marinette could almost hear his smirk.

“Unfortunately, no. I have homework to do at some point, so I can only play for an hour or two.”

“Ah, I completely forgot. I’ve got some too.” He sighed and Marinette heard the rustling of paper as the loading screen finally finished, taking them to the game.

“Better hurry up, Kitty. The game’s starting,” Marinette said as the announcer counted down.

 . . . 

After several hours of playing with each game ending in Chat’s crushing defeat, Marinette laughed triumphantly at his groans of despair.

“I didn’t even know that was _possible_ with that character,” he grumbled, “I’m calling hacks.”

“Nope, I’ve just never used that against you before.” Marinette glanced at her clock, which read 7:43 PM. “Shoot! I played way longer than I meant to. I’ve got to go Chat, thanks for the games. They really cheered me up.”

She heard Chat shuffle as he sat up straighter. “What do you mean? Did you have a bad day?”

“Sort of. It’s nothing you need to worry about though.”

“My lady,” he said seriously, “if you are feeling upset, then I will worry.”

“You’re such a flirt,” she giggled.

“Guilty. So, are you going to tell me what happened or are we going to sit here all night?”

Marinette sighed. “It’s nothing. Some girl is harassing me at school a lot recently.”

“Why?” Chat inquired.

“I’m not sure. She just hates me.”

“If I were there, I’d show her a piece of my mind. Or my fist. Take your pick.”

“Yeah, not a good idea,” she chuckled, “This girl is sort of untouchable.”

“How so?”

“If you say something that annoys her, she’ll make your life a living hell.”

“Ah, I see what you mean. I know someone like that as well.”

“Good luck to both of us then,” she sighed, “I’ve got to go now, I need to eat dinner before my homework.”

“Alright. Enjoy your meal, little bug. I shall eagerly await your return tomorrow.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, though she knew he couldn’t see it. “Goodnight, Kitty.”

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly, Marinette was able to wake up on time for once. Her father had a blueberry muffin and milk laid out for her, fresh from the oven. Sabine was already downstairs at work in the bakery, the chatter of customers barely audible from their apartment. Marinette ate quickly, not wanting to risk being late again. When she finished, she headed upstairs to get dressed. She wore a simple sky blue shirt with a white peter pan collar and jeans. It was one of her favorites; she’d designed it herself. As she slipped on her black peacoat and cream ballet flats, her phone chimed. Marinette unplugged it from the charger and glanced at the Skype notification.

 

Wednesday - 7:15 AM

_**Chat Noir:** Morning, Bugaboo. Wanted to wish you luck today in dealing with that girl._

 

_**Ladybug is now online.** _

 

_**Ladybug:** Thanks, Chat. I’ll need it._

 

_**Chat Noir:** Yeah, she sounds like a pain. If you’d like I can stop by your school and help. ;3_

 

_**Ladybug:** Thanks but no thanks. I’ve got it covered. Besides, you don’t know where it is._

 

_**Chat Noir:** That’s true. Well, good luck in “covering” it. Want to play more UMS tonight?_

 

_**Ladybug:** Depends on how much work I’ve got tonight. Might have to help my parents with some stuff._

 

_**Chat Noir:** Alright, keep me posted._

 

Marinette slipped her phone into her backpack and headed towards school. Although she was frequently scrambling to get to class on time, the close proximity of her house to the school made it easier. As she ascended the steps to the entrance of the school, she noticed that no one was outside. It made sense, as it was nearly winter. If anyone was here this early, they would probably be in the classrooms. Marinette had forty minutes to kill before school started, so she headed upstairs to her first class. The doors would all be unlocked, as the custodian vacuumed each room in the morning.

Marinette clicked open the door and was greeted with silence. For a moment, she thought she was alone. But that was before she saw someone sitting in the front row of the classroom. His head was laid down on the desk, but Marinette saw his blonde hair peeking out from under his hood.

 _Crap, of all people to be here early, it had to be him._ Marinette inwardly cursed at her bad luck and continued as silently as she could to her seat. As she passed him he flinched, alerting her that he was awake.

“Sorry,” she apologized quietly, “did I wake you up?”

Adrien groaned and sat up straight. “Hard to sleep with your elephant stomps.” He glanced up at her and smirked, catching Marinette off guard. She barely registered the flash of his white teeth before it was gone.

“I didn’t mean to,” she huffed. She was about to sit down when she remembered something. “Hey,” she began, “why did you act ignorant when I thanked you yesterday?”

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“Yesterday, after our first class. I thanked you for picking up my phone and for the homework answers. But you said you had no idea what I was talking about.”

“Oh, that.” He leaned back in his chair, putting one foot on top of his knee. “That’s because I didn’t know. Were you thanking me for the phone or for the answer sheet? Or maybe both? You weren’t specific.”

Marinette glared at him. “Smartass,” she blurted. She covered her mouth quickly, realizing what she had just said. If he wanted, he could send her to a hospital, and she didn’t know what his morals were.

To her surprise, the blonde chuckled. “I guess I deserve that.”

Marinette observed his face for the first time. She noticed the bridge of his nose was red and slightly swollen. “How’s your nose?” She asked.

“Fine, a little tender, but fine. Kim pulled his arm back and elbowed me square in the face. Luckily, it’s not broken.” He placed his fingers on the welt and winced, dropping his hand to his side once again.

“I’ve got some painkillers if you want them.” Marinette pulled a bottle of Tylenol out of her bag and he nodded.

“That’d be nice, thanks.” He held his hand out for her to put the pills into, but she accidentally poured way more than necessary. Several clattered onto the floor as she fumbled to stop them, and she placed the bottle on the table as she picked them up. Adrien knelt down with her and helped, trying to seize one as it rolled away. He ended up colliding his forehead into hers, knocking both of them over.

He opened his mouth to apologize but was interrupted by laughter from outside the door. Before Marinette could stand, the door swung open and revealed Chloé Bourgeois. Her conversation with Sabrina stopped abruptly as her eyes landed on the two of them laying on the floor together.

“You bitch,” Chloé snarled, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms with rage, “what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all liked the first chapter!


	2. Spotlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama, drama, drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaaaat? Chapter two the day after I published the first one?

 

Chloé stared at the two of them, her fury bubbling to the surface. Sabrina held her phone out and momentarily blinded the two of them with the camera flash.

“Chloé, it’s not what you think—” Marinette started to speak but was cut off by a shrill cry from the blonde.

“Oh, it’s _exactly_ what I think, Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Did you really believe you could get _my_ Adrikins to…” She trailed off as her eyes grew frantic. “You’ll regret this,” she growled before she and Sabrina stormed out of the classroom. Adrien stared in disbelief at the doorway, unsure of what to say. He stood and brushed himself off, holding out his hand to help Marinette up as well. She took it and he lifted her off the ground effortlessly.

“Sorry about that,” Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” Marinette finished gathering up the remaining pills and put them back in the bottle. The floors were pretty clean, anyway.

“Yeah, but it’s not yours either.” Adrien sighed and swallowed the two pills she’d given him, doing so without water.

“Chloé was already beginning to connect the imaginary dots. It was only a matter of time before she did something.” The girl sat down in her seat with a sigh and Adrien turned around in his to face her.

“What do you mean?” He asked, propping his chin on the back of the seat.

“You were… Uhm… Looking at me a lot yesterday. After you helped me with my phone, I think she may have gotten the idea into her head that you were interested in me.”

“Why would she think that?” Marinette raised an eyebrow at him, and he quickly rephrased his question. “I mean, we’ve never even talked outside of yesterday and this morning.”

“Who knows, that girl will do anything to turn me into the bad guy.” She placed her forehead on the table, trying to think of a way out of this situation.

“What the hell did you do to her?” He chuckled, a sound Marinette was quickly growing fond of.

“Nothing!” Marinette cried, “I’ve done absolutely nothing to her! She saw me in our first year and instantly targeted me.” A few other students began slowly trickling in, suspending their conversation in midair. She hoped Adrien wouldn’t be affected by this whole ordeal, he didn’t deserve it.

Chloé eventually entered as well but didn’t make eye contact with either of them. Instead, she and Sabrina set their homework on the teacher’s desk and silently walked to their seats.

 _Okay, that was weird._ Marinette stared at the back of Chloé’s head, expecting her to turn around and have her usual haughty attitude. But she never did.

 

**…**

 

School passed normally, with no further problems from Chloé or Sabrina. At this point, Marinette was getting _very_ suspicious of her. Surely she could lash out whenever she liked. What could the two of them be planning?

Marinette headed home quickly, not wanting to give them the chance to jump her. When she got to her bedroom she ran to her computer and immediately opened Skype.

 

 

 

Wednesday - 4:01 PM

**_Ladybug is now online._ **

 

_**Ladybug:** Hey Chat. You busy? _

 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

_**Chat Noir:** Nope, just got home. What’s up? _

 

_**Ladybug:** Things didn’t go so well today. :/ _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Wanna talk about it? :c _

 

_**Ladybug:** Pretty sure that chick is going to kill me now. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** What happened? _

 

_**Ladybug:** I don’t want to get into the details. She saw me with this guy she likes and blew it wildly out of proportion. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Shit. That doesn’t sound good, LB. _

 

_**Ladybug:** Language, Chat. And no, it’s not. What makes it weirder is that she hasn’t said ANYTHING to me about it all day. I’m worried that she’s scheming. _

_**Chat Noir:** Be careful, hopefully this whole thing will pass without incident. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Of course, if you ever need me to step in to save you, I would do so without hesitation. ;3 _

 

_**Ladybug:** Hopefully it will. And thanks, Kitty. At least I’ve always got you. _

 

**_Ladybug is away._ **

  

* * *

 

 

When Marinette arrived at school the next morning, she felt as though people were avoiding her. It wasn’t as though she made an effort to talk to anyone normally, but she kept catching people staring at her and whispering out of the corner of her eye. Something definitely happened.

 _No, you’re just being paranoid,_ said the little voice in her head. She continued onward to her first class but stopped when she saw Alya running towards her.

“Marinette!” She called, panting, “What’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?” The shorter girl asked in confusion.

“You mean you haven’t seen it?”

“Seen what?” Marinette was getting a _really_ bad feeling about this.

“Come on!” Alya grabbed her hand and pulled her into the locker room and pointed to Marinette’s locker. She felt her blood go cold as she saw what the other girl was showing her.

 

**SLUT.**

 

**WHORE.**

 

**BITCH.**

 

**TRAMP.**

 

The front of her locker was covered with words written in permanent marker. In addition, the photo that Sabrina took of her and Adrien was plastered to the metal door. Luckily, they scribbled over his face so no one could tell who it was, but hers remained visible. It did look somewhat suggestive, with Adrien’s hands on either side of her hips and her shirt riding up to show part of her midriff. She could see why Chloé thought something had happened.

Marinette could do nothing but gape. She knew she could do nothing to prevent this. She could go to the principal, Mr. Damocles, but Chloé had the entire school in the palm of her hand. Her father provided most of the funding, which pretty much gave her a free pass to do whatever she wanted.

“Girl, what happened?” Alya asked, “I know this isn’t what it looks like, but this could get out of hand if she tells the principal. You could be expelled.”

“I know.” Marinette said nothing else as she set her backpack on the ground. She ripped the photos off of the locker and smudged the ink as best as she could so it was no longer legible. Afterward, she went into the bathroom and washed her hands, trying to get the black off her fingers. She and Alya headed to class in silence with their heads held high. Marinette would _not_ let Chloé affect her.

When they arrived, the class had already started. Their math teacher, Ms. Mendeleiev, stopped what she was saying and turned to the girls.

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng, Ms. Césaire,” she said sternly, “tardiness will not be tolerated in my classroom. Sit down and take care not to show up late again.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Alya said compliantly. They sat down behind Adrien and his friend, Nino Lahiffe, noticing the giggles from the other side of the room. Marinette glanced at Chloé, who was staring at her phone with Sabrina. No doubt texting the entire school about what happened. Sure enough, several students’ phones chimed a minute later, but Ms. Mendeleiev ordered everyone to put them away.

After class Marinette swiftly packed her things and tried to leave, but Adrien stopped her. His hand wrapped around her slim wrist and he locked eyes with her, and Marinette got the idea that he wanted to talk. She nodded and scribbled a note on a piece of paper, setting it on the desk before Chloé could see.

 

_"Library, lunch."_

 

**…**

 

Marinette sat at her usual table in the library, which was empty except for her and Mrs. Roux. After a few minutes, she heard a door close behind her and turned around to see Adrien.

“So,” he asked, his leather jacket squeaking slightly, “what exactly is going on?”

“She wrote slurs on my locker and stuck that picture of us on it.” Marinette opened her backpack and pulled out the crumpled up photos.

“Damn, she’s really got it out for you.” He took the picture in his hands and smoothed it out, noticing that his face was covered. “Did you do this?”

“No, she did. Probably doesn’t want it getting out that it was you.”

“How do you propose we fix this?” He asked.

“I’m hoping it’ll go away after a few days. No point in stirring up a ruckus for no reason.”

“This isn’t ‘no reason,’ Marinette.”

Marinette was taken aback. She hadn’t realized that he knew her name. “Regardless, it would be better if you and I stopped talking to each other so this doesn’t get bigger than it already is.”

Adrien was silent for a moment, considering her words. “I guess you’re right. I’ll go then.”

Marinette watched him go and wondered if she’d hurt his feelings. As he opened the door he stopped, and Marinette wondered what was wrong. She walked up behind him and looked over his shoulder, audibly gasping at what she saw.

The entire school had enlarged versions of the picture taped to every window, door, and pole. The same colorful words that decorated her locker were also written on these photos. Adrien’s face was still blocked out, but it wasn’t hard to tell who it was if you really thought about it. No one else had a designer leather jacket like his.

“Okay, maybe it’ll take more than a few days,” Marinette said.

“You think? It wasn’t like this a few minutes ago.”

“I’ll commend her for being efficient, at least.”

Adrien chuckled and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Just try to get through the rest of the day. I’ll try to talk to her.”

“Alright, good luck.” Marinette smiled at him weakly and he nodded back.

“You too.”

 

* * *

 

The custodian was able to remove all of the pictures rather swiftly, but it was too late. Everyone had seen the pictures by then, and Marinette’s face was known by all. She tried to get through school as quickly as possible, but it was hard with the constant stares and whispers. A couple guys even approached her and asked if she wanted to have some “fun.” Marinette didn’t stick around to see what they meant.

At last, the final bell rang. Marinette gathered her books and scurried out of the classroom, avoiding any curious stares. As she was walking past Mr. Damocles’s office, she heard the door creak open. However, she didn’t see the two pairs of hands that reached out and dragged her in before she was already inside.

The door slammed shut behind her and while she was registering her confusion, she heard the lock _click_. She glanced around the dim room and noticed the two figures standing by the door. Chloé and Sabrina.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the little whore herself.” Chloe’s cold voice echoed in the large room, which Marinette noticed was void of a principal.

“Where’s Mr. Damocles?” Marinette asked.

“He left early today,” said Sabrina, “had a stomach ache.” She raised her hand and shook a box of laxatives, which told Marinette that they were the ones behind his absence.

“So, how shall we deal with your perverse behavior?” Chloé chided.

“I already told you that it wasn’t like that, we just fell. It was an accident, so what more do you two want with me?”

“You know that Adrien is _mine,_ yet you continue to associate with him.”

“First of all, why do you even like him?” Marinette inquired. “He doesn’t seem like your type.”

“On the contrary, I find bad boys _very_ sexy. Which, he is. Did you know he used to be a model when he was younger?” Chloé stared wistfully at the ceiling, likely daydreaming about the other blonde teen.

Marinette groaned, clearly uninterested. “Look, I don’t want anything to do with him. Now would you just leave me alone?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t take the word of a liar.”

“I’m not lying!” Marinette cried, “I’m not his friend, nor will I ever be!”

“Come over here, Marinette,” Chloé said, changing the subject, “I want you to see something.”

Seeing as she had nowhere else to go, Marinette followed Chloé to the window. Below them was most of the student body, many of them waiting for their parents to pick them up or simply chatting after school. Chloé opened the window, and Marinette realized what she was doing. However, before she could run, Sabrina came up behind her and grabbed her arms. Despite how thin the little redhead was, she was strong. Marinette tried to struggle against her, but it was no use.

“Attention, students!” Chloé called. Many people looked around for the source of her voice and stared in surprise when they found her. “As you all know, a certain girl was found early yesterday morning on the floor, in a very compromising position, with a boy on top of her.” Chloé pulled Marinette’s arm, bringing her in view of the students. “This, my fellow classmates, is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, our school’s very own slut! I’m formally introducing her to you, as many of you didn’t know her beforehand. I’m sure many of you boys would like to take a chance with her.”

Several people from below whistled and laughed, much to Marinette’s embarrassment. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and tried to pry herself from Chloé’s iron grip. Where were the teachers in this school?

“Chloé!” Someone yelled from below, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Marinette looked down at the crowd and saw Adrien looking up at them, his eyes wide with rage.

“I’m simply teaching this girl her place after she sexually assaulted one of our school's elite.” Chloé smirked down at him. Did she honestly think that he would be onboard with this?

“I told you earlier, that’s not what fucking happened!” Adrien turned around to the people on the ground and raised his voice so they could hear him. “Listen up, everyone! It was _my_ fault, not hers! I fell on top of Marinette and Chloé manipulated the situation into what it is now. It was an accident, that’s all! If anyone has a fucking problem with that, you will come to me, not her!”

Many of the students lowered their eyes, attempting not to make eye contact with him. The last time Adrien was mad, he busted down the door to the school’s chem lab and broke someone’s wrist. Granted, the other person spilled chemicals on him as a joke, but he didn’t find it very funny.

“And Chloé!” He called, “While I'm at it, I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, I will _never_ date you. So leave me the fuck alone.”

Chloé stepped back in shock, her face burning with embarrassment. Her nails dug into Marinette’s wrist as she tightened her grip. “You’re crazy. I _always_ get what I want. That includes you.”

“Not this time.”

Marinette heard Chloé sniffle next to her and turned her head. Sure enough, she was crying. She dropped Marinette’s arm and ran out of the office, a panicked Sabrina in tow. When Marinette looked out the window, she didn’t see Adrien anywhere. Not wanting to stay there any longer, she grabbed her backpack and ran towards the door.

 

**_SLAM!_ **

 

Marinette collided with something hard but had no idea what it was. She saw her backpack drop and pencils go flying, one of them ending up on the other side of the room.

“Shit, run a little faster, why don’t you?”

The girl looked up from her dazed state and saw Adrien sitting on the floor as well. She concluded that they ran into each other in the doorway, judging by how he was rubbing his chest where her head would have hit.

“S-Sorry!” She scrambled to gather her pencils, shoving them all back in her bag.

“I was coming up to see how you were. Chloé didn’t hurt you, did she?”

Marinette allowed him to help her up and stared at his face. “No, other than her nails.” She lifted her wrist and showed him the red crescents embedded in her skin. “Thanks for saving me. I really owe you.”

“Yeah, you do,” he said bluntly.

“Huh?”

“You owe me now. Do you think I did this out of the goodness of my heart?” Adrien smiled wickedly at her, showing off his white teeth again.

“I mean, yeah. I was just starting to think that maybe you weren’t so bad.” Marinette stepped back, worried about what he might propose.

“Well, you’d be wrong. I helped you because it affected me. And because I knew I could get something out of it.”

“What do you want?” Marinette asked, ready to make a run for it.

Adrien crossed his arms and stared straight into her eyes, keeping his gaze locked onto hers. That sly smile was still gracing his lips, turning his mouth upwards at the corners.

“Tell me: how good is your acting?”

 


	3. Curtain Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deals will be made.

 

Marinette stared at Adrien for a few seconds, unsure if she had heard him correctly. When he raised an eyebrow at her silence, she blinked to regain her composure.

“My.. My what?” She asked.

“Acting. You know, portraying a character, fictional or otherwise, before a live audience?” He added sarcastically, keeping his eyebrow perfectly arched.

“I know what acting is,” Marinette sighed, “but why would you need me to?”

“I need a favor.” Adrien ran his hand through his hair, glancing off to the side. “Chloé isn’t the only one that wants us to be together. My father and the Mayor are quite close. They both think it would be advantageous for us to get married in the future, even if that girl is the bane of my existence.”

“So?” Marinette asked, dropping her guard.

 _“So,”_ he continued, “if I were to get another girlfriend, all three of them will back down, if only slightly. At least, in theory.”

“And you want me to be your girlfriend?” Marinette’s eyes went wide. She’d never had a boyfriend before and didn’t know if she was ready to have one in the first place. Although, she was already sixteen. Maybe it was time for her to find someone.

“No,” he said sternly, terminating her thoughts, “I want you to be my _fake_ girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders relaxed slightly. _“Oh!”_

“There’s a gala being held by my father this Saturday. Dress nice, you’ll be there to impress people.”

Marinette didn’t know how she felt about all of this. “Hold on a second. How long would we be fake-dating?”

“A few weeks, maybe. I’m not sure, it depends on how long it’ll take them to give up on Chloé.” He sat down in the leather chair behind Mr. Damocles’s desk, acting as if he owned the place.

“I’m not so sure about this,” Marinette said, rubbing her arms softly. “What if this causes more backlash from Chloé?”

“It won’t, I’ll make sure of it. Besides, I doubt she would risk anything with me.” Adrien stood from the chair and crossed the room to where she was. With an almost practiced grace, he extended his hand to her. “Do we have a deal?”

Marinette eyed his hand carefully, not fully trusting him yet. But she did owe him, after all. “Slow down. Just so we’re clear, what responsibilities does “fake-dating” entail?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Hanging inside and outside of school, holding hands, sucking up to my father, et cetera.” He held up a finger for each item on the list, counting them off as each one came to mind.

“And no… Uhm…” Marinette trailed off, uncertain about how to phrase her next question.

Adrien chuckled and raised his right hand in a mock oath. “I swear that I will not attempt anything ‘out of your comfort zone.’ You have my word.”

Marinette scrutinized him up and down, looking for any sign of deception. “And you’re _sure_ that Chloé won’t get back at me for this?”

“I won’t promise that she won’t try, only that I’ll protect you if she does.”

She gave him one final look, this time straight in his eyes. His gaze was unwavering, showing no dishonesty. Either he was telling the truth, or he was a _really_ good liar.

Marinette sucked in a big breath and stuck out her arm resolutely, catching him slightly off guard. “Then let’s get this show on the road.”

 

* * *

 

Marinette plopped down on her bed, exhausted. Her hair fell in a mess around her head, chunks falling out of her pigtails. It had been one of the worst days of her life, and now her parents were bombarding her with questions.

“Marinette, we just want to know what happened,” her father said, peeking his head up from the trap door in her floor. “Mrs. Césaire called us and told us what she knew, but it wasn’t much.”

“Nothing happened, _p_ _apa,”_ Marinette sighed through her pillow, “Just some bully at school. It’s taken care of, anyway.”

“Marinette,” Sabine’s calm voice called from behind her, “we understand if you don’t want to talk about it right away. We both know what it’s like to be a teenager. Just promise you’ll come to us when you’re ready?”

Marinette turned her head to look at her parents and saw their worried faces. “I’m sorry, _maman,_ I promise.”

“Good. Then how about you join your father and I for dinner? I made strawberry cake for dessert.”

Marinette instantly perked back up at the mention of her favorite confectionary, her eyes going wide with excitement. “Yes, please!”

 

**. . .**

 

After a hefty bowl of clam chowder and delicious cake, Marinette slouched into her chair with a content sigh. Barely managing to lift her hand without dropping from her impending food coma, she turned on her computer and clicked that familiar cat-icon.

 

 

Wednesday - 7:36 PM

**_Ladybug is now online._ **

 

_**Ladybug:** Evening, kitty _

 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

_**Chat Noir:** I was beginning to think you weren’t going to message me tonight. You wouldn’t be THAT cruel, would you? :c _

 

_**Ladybug:** Of course not. Today was just… busy. _

 

_**Chat Noir** : Oh boy. That means something happened with that chick, huh? _

 

_**Ladybug:** Yep. Luckily someone was able to resolve the situation. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Wanna talk about it? I’m here for you if you need anything. _

 

_**Ladybug:** Nah, I’m good. What’s done is done. I don’t want to get all depressed and melodramatic on you. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Please, Ladybug. I LIVE for drama. But if you say so, I won’t pry. Wanna play some games to get your mind off of it? I’ll even let you win a couple times. ;) _

 

_**Ladybug:** Suuuure. “Let” me win. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** But of course. I wouldn’t kick your ass after the long day you’ve had. That would be inhumane. _

 

_**Ladybug:** You’re on. _

 

 

* * *

 

The next day at school, Marinette noticed that people were still staring. Quite a bit more than the morning before, but that was to be expected. The majority of the student body had seen the spectacle Chloé made. Marinette was about to head up the steps to the second floor when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Hey, Marinette!” Alya greeted. At least one person wasn’t ostracizing her.

“Morning, Alya,” she replied in the cheeriest voice she could muster, “What’s up?”

“I was just wondering how you were doing. Yesterday must’ve been pretty rough.” The taller girl patted Marinette’s back, likely trying to console her.

“I’m good. Adrien managed to dispel the situation before it got too out of hand.” The girls entered the classroom, where the only person inside was Juleka Couffaine, the school’s “goth.” While her exterior fit the whole “dark and mysterious” vampiric vibe, her personality couldn’t be further from it.

“Speaking of which, what’s going on between you and the blonde beauty?” Alya sent a smirk her way along with a suggestively raised eyebrow.

“We’re not—” Marinette began, but cut herself short. She remembered the deal she had agreed to the day before, realizing it would be weird if it was out of nowhere. “I mean… I don’t know. I guess he’s sort of cute, and he was really cool yesterday when he saved me.”

“Ooh, girl. You two would be great together.” _Thank God she was a good liar._

“You think so? I haven’t talked to him very much. Do you think he’d be interested in me?” She put her head in her hands for emphasis, perfectly mimicking a lovestruck adolescent.

 _“Puh-lease,”_ Alya said, putting extra emphasis on the word, “have you seen the way he’s been looking at you recently? If that doesn’t scream ‘I’ve got a crush on you’ then I don’t know what does.”

Before their conversation could continue further, several people walked through the door. First was Nino, Adrien’s best friend and fellow delinquent, then Adrien, Alix, and Kim. Nino made eye contact with Marinette and Alya before leaning over to whisper something in Adrien’s ear. Marinette saw the blonde nod as all four of them headed to their seats. Strangely, there was no Chloé in sight.

“Morning,” Nino said, though it was directed at Alya.

“Good Morning,” she replied. Both girls found it odd, Nino had never greeted them before. Marinette couldn’t help but look at Adrien, noticing that he wasn’t wearing a beanie like usual.

“So, what’s your name?” He asked, leaning his head on his hand.

“Alya. Why?”

“I thought it’d be a good time to start talking with the people who’ve sat behind me for three months. You’re Marinette, right?” He added, turning to the dark-haired girl.

“Y-yeah.” Marinette snapped her attention away from Adrien as she and Alya exchanged glances. Anyone from his posse only ever talked to people they could gain something from.

“Nice to meet you both,” he said before turning around in his seat without another word.

“You too… I guess.” Alya stared at the back of his head for a moment before shaking her own. Ignoring the odd situation that just occurred, she and Marinette pulled out their homework and waited for class to start.

 

 

. . .

 

“Marinette, wait up!” A voice called from behind her. Marinette whipped around, nearly smacking herself in the face with her own pigtails. Alya was walking up to her, a brown paper bag in hand.

“What’s up?”

“Do you want to have lunch with me, Rose, and Juleka? I notice you always tend to go off on your own for lunch.” Rose and Juleka were approaching behind her, both girls engaging in a quiet conversation.

“Uh... sure!” Marinette said after a moment of hesitation. The four girls walked to their usual eating spot in the school cafeteria, each one taking their lunches out of their backpacks.

“Marinette, what kinds of food do you like?” Rose asked. If Juleka was a vampire, then Rose was a fairy. Her short blonde pixie cut bounced every time she walked, coupled with her equally bubbly personality.

“Oh… Uhm…” Marinette trailed off, taken aback by the sudden question, “I guess I like most foods. Except for mushrooms, I _hate_ mushrooms.”

“Me too!” Juleka said louder than normal. “And peppers,” she added a little quieter, “I don’t like peppers very much.”

The girls continued chatting all throughout the lunch period, exchanging their likes and dislikes, as well as their hobbies. When Marinette mentioned that she designed clothes, Rose lit up like a beacon.

“You make clothes? That’s super cool!” The tiny girl said with excitement.

“What kinds of clothes can you make?” Alya asked, setting down her thermos of soup.

“All sorts of things. Shirts, pants, dresses, hats, even shoes if I try.” Marinette unbuttoned her peacoat to show them her ruffled periwinkle shirt with a bow on the collar. “I made this, actually.”

“It’s so pretty,” Juleka praised.

“Adorable!” Rose said, “If the school ever switches to uniforms, you should be the one to design them.”

The girls all giggled, silently praying that day would never come to pass. As they finished their meals Rose suddenly stopped, her sandwich halfway to her mouth. Just as Marinette was about to ask what was wrong, she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder.

“Afternoon, ladies,” said a masculine voice, “mind if I borrow your friend for a moment?”

Marinette turned around and saw Adrien standing behind her, a sickeningly charming smile dancing across his lips.

“Go right on ahead,” Alya said with enthusiasm, sending a wink to Marinette.

The raven-haired girl allowed herself to be led away by Adrien, several people glancing at them as they walked by. They must look strange together—the loner girl with the delinquent leader. He took her to a secluded corner of the cafeteria, away from prying ears.

“Look,” he began, dropping his charismatic act, “here’s the plan: You’re going to go back over to your friends and tell them I asked you out. Pretend to be all flustered or whatever if you need to.”

“Wait, right now?” She asked, glancing back to her table. All three girls were staring at the two of them, with Alya giving her a thumbs up.

“Yes, if I’m going to take you to the gala on Saturday, it needs to be convincing. If word gets out that I’ve got a girlfriend now, I’m positive my father will hear about it by then.”

“Well, at least make it convincing,” she grumbled, “They're all looking this way. If they see you glaring at me like that they’ll have a hard time believing it.”

Adrien sighed and ran his fingers through his golden hair. Marinette saw his muscles flex through his shirt and had to look away out of concern for her innocence. Without asking for permission, he took her hand in his and took a step forward.  
“Marinette, I’ve really liked you for a while now,” he said, averting his gaze in fake embarrassment. Marinette glanced at her table where she could see Rose squealing with excitement.

“I like you too, Adrien.” Marinette brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling ever so slightly. _God, I wish this would go faster._

“Would you… maybe like to go to a movie with me tomorrow?” He asked, getting so close that she could feel his breath on her hair.

Marinette felt her pace quicken. “Y-yes,” she stuttered, clearing her throat, “that would be great!” Her face pulsed with very real embarrassment. She’d never been this close to a boy before.

“Thank god, I was worried you’d say no.” Adrien placed his hand over his chest, acting relieved.

“No, I think it’d be fun.” Marinette took a step backward and pulled out her phone. “Want to exchange numbers?”

“Yeah, I’ll text you the movie time.” Adrien dug his phone out of his pocket quickly. Marinette noticed it was a _very_ expensive model. After they put their contact information in each other’s address books, Marinette turned back to the rest of the cafeteria.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow, Marinette.” Adrien gave her one last award-winning smile, causing her face to flare up once more. Before she could embarrass herself further, she walked back to her table to tell everyone about her completely imaginary date.

 

 

**. . .**

 

Adrien watched Marinette walk back to the group of girls, chuckling as she left. This was too easy. All he had to do was smile and she went as red as a tomato. On the plus side, she’d fit right in on Mars.

Things were finally going well for him. The plan seemed to be going smoothly so far, at least for now. It was still too early to tell. He still felt confident, however, and began walking back to his seat.

 _Hopefully, that shitty excuse for a father will give up at the end of all this._ As he walked he glanced at his phone, nearly putting it away. However, he decided to message a dear friend of his. If only he could've asked her to be his girlfriend—that would have made everything so much easier. Then he'd actually be with someone he liked—no—loved. 

With a flick of his thumb, he tapped on Skype’s blue icon, his recent messages appearing first.

 

 

Thursday - 12:26 PM

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

 _ **Chat Noir:** Afternoon, my lady._  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little shorter than before, but I thought this was a good place to end it. :)


	4. Now Online

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commence operation "Convince Everyone We're Dating."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait! I'm currently in the process of building a new computer so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write during the next week or so, but I'll do my best!

 

Adrien sat down at his table across from Alix, Kim, and Nino. Kim was in the middle of an argument with Alix while Nino sat with his eyes closed as he listened to music. When the blonde plopped into his seat, Nino cracked open one eye and glanced at Adrien before taking off his headphones.

“So, what were you and the goody-two-shoes talking about over there?” Nino questioned, ignoring the two teens next to him.

“I asked her out,” Adrien replied nonchalantly, stealing some grapes off Nino’s lunch tray.

“Dude,” Nino’s mouth gaped open, “You serious?”

“Yep, she agreed to see a movie with me tomorrow.”

“But she’s…”

“What?”

“Not your type at all. Aren’t you into gamer chicks or whatever?”

“Yeah, but those are hard to come by. Besides, Marinette’s interesting.”

Nino sighed. “Bro, you only started talking to her this week. How much do you even know about her?”

“I know that she’s not Chloé.” Adrien plopped a couple more grapes into his mouth as Nino nodded in agreement.

“True, and that’s a good enough reason to date anybody.” Before he could say any more, Nino was interrupted by a loud crash next to him.

“The hell did you say, Kubdel?” Kim yelled, knocking over his tray as he towered above Alix.

“I said that you need to shut the fuck up if you don’t want me to beat you ass into the ground!” Several people around them turned to see what the commotion was, hoping for some free lunchtime entertainment.

“Both of you, sit down,” Adrien demanded, irritation evident. Kim’s face went white—he’d nearly forgotten that he elbowed Adrien in the face earlier that week.

“Sorry, A.” The large teen lowered his body onto the bench, referring to Adrien by his nickname. It was short for his actual name and also eluded to the fact that he was highest on the social food chain.  

“Alix, you too.” The pink-haired tomboy sat down beside Kim, but her glare didn’t subside.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Nino asked, resuming the previous conversation, “I mean, you know she shouldn’t get involved with us.”

“It probably isn’t. But what can I say? The heart wants what the heart wants.” He added a lovestruck glance in her direction for good measure, which seemed to convince Nino to some extent.

“Alright man. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

 

* * *

 

Marinette returned to her seat at the lunch table where Rose, Juleka, and Alya were all eagerly awaiting the news.

“So,” Alya began, “What happened, girl?” They all looked at Marinette with eyes full of excitement.

“He… Sort of asked me out on a date.” Rose squealed in delight as Alya patted Marinette on the shoulder supportively.

“Really, Mari? He’s a catch—half the girls in this school want to get in his pants.” Alya laughed as Marinette elbowed her arm in embarrassment.

“Alya!” She screeched, her face turning dark red.

“What? It’s true. You said it yourself, he’s _quite_ the looker.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t mean I intend to sleep with him.”

“Maybe not now, but someday you’ll get curious,” Juleka added quietly.

“Stop it, you two!” Rose said with concern, “Can’t you see she’s uncomfortable?”

Marinette was surprised by the girl’s defense of her and quickly waved it off. “No, it’s alright, Rose! I just didn’t know how to respond.”

Rose nodded before her eyebrows creased in thought. “Hey, Marinette, why didn’t the four of us ever hang out together before?”

Marinette shrugged. “I’m kind of a loner, I guess.”

“That’s surprising,” Alya said, “You’re not socially inept.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I just didn’t have a reason to be in a group.” Her eyes turned downcast, and they all knew why. Chloé had prevented her from having friends because everyone was too scared of the blonde tyrant to ever approach Marinette.

“Well, whatever the case, I hope you consider us your friends, or at least, acquaintances.” She smiled at the shorter girl next to her, nudging her softly.

“Yeah,” Marinette said. The absence of Chloé had done wonders for her confidence, and she now felt as though she was “allowed” to make friends. Alya switched the conversation back to Adrien, taking every opportunity to embarrass Marinette.

As they continued eating their lunch, Marinette felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She unlocked the screen, expecting a text from Adrien telling her the details of the next day. Instead, a cat icon stared up at her from the display.

 

Thursday - 12:26 PM 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

****

_**Chat Noir:** Afternoon, My Lady. _

 

**_Ladybug is now online._ **

 

_**Ladybug:** Hey, Chat! You don’t normally message me at this time. Is something up? _

 

_**Chat Noir:** No, not particularly. I just miss you. c: _

 

_**Ladybug:** I’m sure you do. I’m at school right now and my lunch break is almost up. But I can talk until it’s over. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Yeah, same here. How is school going so far? _

 

_**Ladybug:** Eventful, to say the least. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Would you like to elaborate on these “eventful events?” _

 

_**Ladybug:** I made some friends, I think. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** You think? _

 

_**Ladybug:** Yeah, I’m not really sure. I’ve never had many friends. _

_**Chat Noir:** Why? You’re pretty damn paw-some, if you don’t mind my saying so. _

 

_**Ladybug:** Ugh, puns. But thanks, Kitty. I’ve just been bullied a lot throughout my life which prevented people from getting close to me. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** Didn’t stop me. _

_**Ladybug:** True, but you don’t know me in real life. _

 

_**Chat Noir:** I wish I did, Ladybug. Don’t you? _

 

_**Ladybug:** It’s more complicated than that, Chat. I’ve gotta go now, lunch is over. _

 

 **_Ladybug is now offline._ **  

 

 

 

Adrien stared at his phone’s screen, dejected. Why didn’t she want to know anything about him? She understood if she didn’t want to tell him about herself, there were some serious creeps on the internet. But she told him before that she didn’t want to know about him at all. In fact, the only thing she knew about him was that he was seventeen years old and male. It was baffling to him.

“Dude, what are you doing? The bell rang.” Nino tapped Adrien on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

“Oh, right.” He shoved his phone back in his pocket and stood, dumping his tray of food scraps in the trash as he left the cafeteria. As the group walked through the halls, most people moved out of their way. The delinquents never bothered anyone that left them alone, but it was best not to give them a reason.

Adrien sat down at his desk when he got to the classroom, pulling his phone out of his pocket yet again. Thoughts of Ladybug raced through his mind. That girl was a mystery to him, and he had no idea how to begin chipping away at the walls she had put up to protect herself.

Perhaps she was just being cautious. After all, she said she’d been bullied a lot. It was highly unlikely that it was anything personal. Maybe she was just bad at making friends. Whatever the case, he hoped that she would open up to him as time went on.

 

* * *

 

Marinette walked to the science lab with the other girls in tow, each one absorbed in the conversation except for her. Her mind was occupied with Chat Noir. Her online gaming partner was probably her best friend, so why did she get nervous every time he brought up their identities? Maybe it was the anticipation. What if he was completely different from how she envisioned him? What if she was different from how he thought of her?

 

**_SLAM!_ **

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a door swinging open in front of her, smacking her in the face. She fell backward, caught completely off guard. Alya and Rose knelt down next to her to see if she was alright, immediately checking her for any outward injuries.

“The fuck?” Someone said from inside the classroom. The person rounded the door and looked down at Marinette. It was Alix, who glared at her in annoyance. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going, Dupain-Cheng?”

“Why don’t you open doors more carefully?” Alix raised an eyebrow at her, surprised that the quiet girl was talking back to her with so much confidence. The other girls’ faces fell, worried about the outcome of this situation. Alix was the most athletic girl in school, capable of beating most of the guys and running the Paris Marathon without ever needing to stop.

“The hell did you just say?” Alix grabbed Marinette’s arm roughly, dragging the light girl to her feet. She lifted her against the wall by her shirt collar, only allowing her toes to touch the ground.

“Put me down!” She demanded, trying to pry Alix’s hands from her shirt. Alya stared in shock and ran inside the classroom, though Marinette didn’t know why.

“You honestly think you can tell me what to do?” Alix lifted her higher, making it so she could barely scrape the tips of her shoes on the ground. Her knuckles were pressed against her throat, making it very difficult to breathe. Juleka and Rose stood back in fear, but something beyond Marinette’s line of sight caught their attention.

“Alix!” Said a masculine voice, “Put her down, _now!”_ Suddenly, Marinette felt her behind hit the floor and the pressure on her neck disappear. She rubbed her sore throat and looked up at her savior.

“Adrien!” Alix squeaked, “I was just teaching this bi—”

“Say one more word, Alix,” the blonde snarled, “I _dare_ you.”

Needless to say, that shut her up. The pink-haired girl dashed back into the classroom, not wanting to challenge his authority. Adrien’s features softened as he bent down to check on Marinette.

“Are you alright?” He asked with what seemed to be genuine concern.

Marinette was taken aback. “Y-yeah. I’m fine.”

“Marinette!” Rose cried, “Your nose is bleeding!”

She lifted her hand to her face and sure enough, she felt something warm and sticky on her fingertips. “I’ll go to the infirmary for some gauze.” She stood without taking the hand that Adrien had offered her, not wanting to cause more of a scene than necessary.

“Should we tell a teacher?” Juleka pondered quietly.

“No, it’s fine. Doesn’t matter now, anyway.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Alya asked.

“I think I’m oka—”

“I’m going with her,” Adrien announced, not bothering to ask for permission.

Alya’s eyes widened in surprise before her expression turned into a smirk. “No problem, lover boy. Take care of her for us.”

Marinette’s face reddened for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Before she could protest, all three girls had gone inside the classroom, not giving her the chance to. She begrudgingly let Adrien follow her to the infirmary in silence, pinching the bridge of her nose as she walked. When they got there, the nurse wasn’t there. The faculty took their lunch break after the students, so she was probably eating somewhere.

“Sit on the bed,” Adrien instructed, “I’ll get the gauze. There are some tissues on the table.”

Marinette did as he said and plopped down on the bed, wiping away the blood with the soft paper. A minute later he walked over to her and handed her the roll of fabric.

"Seems like you come here often," Marinette said, noticing how he knew where everything was. 

"Was that a pickup line?" He asked, smirking at her.

"N-no! You just seem to know your way around in here."

"Alix and Kim get themselves hurt far more than you'd think, even for them." 

Marinette shrugged and turned to the roll in her hands. “You don’t have to go this far,” she said, ripping off a strip of the soft cotton.

“It’s fine. So, what happened?” Adrien plopped down on the bed next to her, laying down with his hands behind his head. His t-shirt rode up slightly, exposing the edge of his defined pelvis bone.

Marinette turned away quickly, pretending to be invested in putting the gauze in her nose. “I wasn’t paying attention and Alix hit me with the door.”

“Well, at least she didn’t hit you with her fist. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Why’d she have you pinned against the wall?”

Marinette recounted what had happened earlier, sparing a few details here and there. When she was finished, Adrien sat up and glanced at her neck.

“You’ve got a bruise.” He pointed at his own throat to illustrate where it was. Marinette brushed her fingers against it but flinched away at the sharp pain.

“She accidentally pressed her knuckles into my neck when she held me by the shirt.” Marinette pulled the balls of cotton out of her nose and tossed them in the trash—the bleeding had stopped by that point. She froze when she felt Adrien’s fingers brush her silky hair away from her neck. He was staring at the bruise intently as if he could heal it by glaring. When he felt Marinette’s eyes on him, he jumped back.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, “I wanted to see if it was serious. You look fine though, I’m going to head back to class. You should come too when you’re ready.” He stood and straightened his shirt under his leather jacket, exiting the infirmary swiftly.

Marinette stared at the door in confusion, not sure what she should think about whatever that was.

 

* * *

 

“Don’t worry, Ladybug, you’ll get it. It’s side B twice, double jump, Y, then X.”

Marinette groaned in annoyance. Chat Noir had managed to get her hooked on a new MMO that was recently released in Europe. The problem was, she was _very_  bad at it.

“It’s not the combo that I can’t get, it’s aiming. I don’t understand, why do the controls feel so wonky to me?” She tossed her controller on the desk where it landed on its face and accidentally opened the settings menu.

“I don’t know. Are you finally ready to accept that I am superior to you at this game?” Marinette could hear his ego inflating by the second.

“As if, I’m sure that I’ll crush you once I’m used to it.” Marinette picked up her controller again, nearly exiting the menu before something caught her eye. “Hold on—the controls aren’t inverted!”

“Wait, you use inverted?” Chat’s quiet scoff could be heard through the headset.

“Uh, _yeah._ Inverted is the way to play, man.” Marinette switched the setting and closed the menu, ready to fight again.

After a few rounds, Marinette was confident that the setting was the only thing getting in her way. She managed to beat Chat Noir at everything, much to his disappointment.

“If only you hadn’t seen the menu,” he groaned dejectedly.

“I’m sure you’ll beat me one day, Kitty.” Marinette stretched and glanced at her clock. “My god, it’s almost midnight. I should probably hit the hay.”

“Wait a second, Ladybug,” Chat interrupted, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“Well,” he began, not sure about what he should say, “Why is it that you don’t want to know anything about me? I understand why you don't want to tell me about yourself, and I won't ask you to, but it seems like you push me away.”

Marinette sighed audibly. “Chat, it doesn’t have anything to do with you,” she said, “I just… I’ve been hurt in the past. I try to avoid people as much as possible so it doesn’t happen again.”

“I would never hurt you. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to risk hurting you as well.”

“What makes you think that you would hurt me?”

Marinette was silent for a few moments. “It’s getting late, I really need to go to sleep.”

Chat knew that was his signal to stop prying. “Alright, Bugaboo. Just know that if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m always here for you.”

“Thanks,  _Chaton."_

 

 

* * *

 

Adrien fell onto his bed with a loud groan. Ladybug was an enigma, that much was obvious. He wanted to help her, not just talk to her when she was feeling down. Well, he wanted to do that too, to comfort her in any way possible. But that was all he could do. It was all she let him do.

Adrien remembered when they first met back in February. She seemed so humble at first, but that was all tossed out the window when he realized she’d been going easy on him. After that, she turned into a sassy ball of confidence. He was so amused by her that he decided to play more matches with her. And more. _And more._

Eight months later and they were playing together nearly every night after school. He was completely smitten by her, and yet had no idea who she was. Adrien couldn’t help but feel a bit lonely when they talked. They were both clearly curious, but he couldn’t act on his curiosity, and she didn’t want to.

With a sigh, he pulled his phone off his bedside table and flicked through his various applications, looking for something to distract himself with until he was ready to go to sleep. He accidentally hit his texting app instead and closed it quickly. However, he reopened it a moment later and flicked through his list of contacts, his eyes scanning the names for one in particular.

 

 

Thursday - 12:37 AM 

 **_This is the beginning of your chat history with_ ** **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng_ ** **_._ **

 

_**Adrien Agreste:** You up? _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After writing this I realized I ended it like I did chapter 3. Oh well. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	5. Budding Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A date, eh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, it's been so long. I finally finished building my computer so I was able to work on this all week. TwT  
> Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Tumblr: Elioren.tumblr.com
> 
> P.S. Let me know if you guys like the dividers around the text messages or if I should change them back to the underscores. :)

 

_My God, why is my phone on this late?_

 

Marinette rolled over inside the covers, quickly growing annoyed at the bright light that was filling her room. With a groan, she popped her head out from under her giant cat pillow and snatched her phone off of her shelf, squinting at the screen.

 

Thursday - 12:37 AM

**_This is the beginning of your chat history with Adrien Agreste._ **

 

 **_Adrien Agreste:_ ** _You up?_

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _I am now. -.- What’s up?_

 

 **_Adrien Agreste:_ ** _Oops. Sorry. I just wanted to know when you wanted to meet for the movie tomorrow._

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _Oh, that’s an actual thing we’re doing? I thought you just wanted me to tell the others that we were going._

 

 **_Adrien Agreste:_ ** _We don’t have to if you don’t want to._

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _It’s fine, I’m free tomorrow after school anyways._

 

 **_Adrien Agreste:_ ** _Oh, okay. Mind if I pick you up at your place at 4? The movie I want to see isn’t showing until later._

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _Sounds good. See you then._

 

* * *

 

 

“Morning, Mari,” Alya greeted as she sat down next to her classmate, “Woah, you look like death.”

 _“Thanks,_ Alya.” Marinette groaned as she set her forehead on the table in exhaustion. “Someone thought it was a good idea to text me at one in the morning.”

“Ah, Doing some late-night chatting with Mr. Agreste?” Alya teased.

“I can assure you, I wish I didn’t.” She rubbed her tired eyes with her hands, trying to clear her blurry vision. Unfortunately, it only made it worse.

“Why? You two seem to be getting along fine.”

“It’s just… I’m not sure he’s my type.” Marinette combed her fingers through her hair, attempting to smooth out the tiny knots she missed while brushing.

“Not your type?” Alya repeated, “Well, I guess that’s true. You guys are really different. But you know what they say, ‘opposites attract.’”

“I guess. Hopefully, we’re not _too_ different.” Their conversation was interrupted when the person in front of them turned around.

“Hey, did you guys hear the news?”

Marinette and Alya looked at each other in confusion. Why was Nino talking to them again?

“What news?” Alya asked. As cautious as she was towards the delinquent, she would never pass up an opportunity to catch some juicy gossip.

“Apparently Chloé and Sabrina got suspended for a week.” Marinette caught the slight upturn of his lips as he relayed the information.

“Are you happy about it?” She asked.

“Hell yeah. A week without Chloé will make things _very_ relaxing around here. That girl is always tagging along with us to hang off Adrien.” Nino turned towards her with a raised eyebrow. “What about you? Of all people, I’d expect you to be the most thrilled that she won’t be here.” At that moment, Adrien entered the classroom and sat down next to Nino, subtly entering their circle of conversation.

“I am, but I don’t hate her or anything.” She glanced at the blonde briefly but flicked her eyes back to Nino. “I think she might have some… issues.”

“Issues?” Alya asked, “Like what?”

“Well… anger management problems for sure. And it’s just a hunch, but she might have some kind of anxiety too.”

Nino bumped Adrien’s arm. “What do you think, Bro? You’ve known Chloé the since you were kids.”

“It’s not really any of my business,” he said, pulling out a pen to fiddle with, “And besides, it’s probably not a good idea for me to tell people about her past.”

Marinette was taken aback. For someone that didn’t listen to anyone’s rules but his own, he certainly was respectful of others. “It’s fine, I don’t care much about what she used to be like anyway.”

The last few students trickled in over the next few minutes, each one sitting down and making idle chatter with whoever was nearby. Marinette heard a few students gossiping about Chloé and Sabrina as well. She heard her name mixed in more than once, telling her that it would probably be a good idea to keep things on the down-low for a while.  

 

* * *

 

The classes passed uneventfully and Marinette headed home early since she didn’t have Physical Education on Friday. It gave her extra time to get ready for her and Adrien’s plans later that evening. When Marinette told her mother she was going out, the woman was immediately ecstatic.

“Is it with friends or a boy?” Sabine giggled like a schoolgirl, “Where are you going? If it’s a date you’ll need to look as cute as a button. Want to use some of my makeup?”

“ _Maman,_ slow down!” Marinette laughed. “It’s with a guy, but I’m not really sure if it’s a date or not.”

“Where is it taking place?”

“At… the movies.”

Sabine blinked a few times. “Marinette. _Come on.”_

“Okay, maybe it is a date.” The girl’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink.

 _“Maybe?_ Of course it is!” Sabine entered her bedroom and grabbed a few cosmetics. “Here, use whatever you’d like. You have your own eyeliner, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll wear much makeup.”

“Ah, I see. Going for the natural approach, huh?” She raised an eyebrow at her daughter, causing the girl to sputter over her next sentence.

“N-no! T-that’s not what I m-meant!” Marinette snatched the makeup and headed up the stairs to her room. “I have to go get ready!”

 

 

**. . .**

 

An hour later, Marinette reemerged from her room. It took her ages, but she finally decided to wear a long pink sweater with dark jeans and knee-high brown leather boots. Her hair was curled into a wavy half-up style with a white bow pin in the back. She chose to keep her makeup light, with only a delicate dusting of pink eyeshadow, mascara, and rose lipgloss. As she was inspecting her outfit in the mirror once more, her phone chimed.

 

Friday - 3:36 PM

 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Evening, my lady. Just wanted you to know I probably won’t be able to entertain you until later tonight, as I’ve got a prior engagement to attend._

 

**_Ladybug is now online._ **

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Oh no! You’re abandoning me? My kitty is so cruel._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _I deeply apologize, Bugaboo. If I’m back early enough, maybe we can still play._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _I’m kidding, Chat. I’ve actually got stuff to do today as well._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Oh. Well, that’s convenient. :P_  
_  
_ **_Ladybug:_ ** Yep. Heading out right now so I won’t be able to talk much for the next couple of hours.

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Me too. I’ll talk to you later, LB. c:_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _See ya, Kitty._

 

**_Chat Noir is now away._ **

 

**_Ladybug is now offline._ **

Marinette sighed. She had no idea how this date with Adrien would go. Maybe he thought of this as just hanging out. What if he thought it was an _actual date?_ Not that there was anything wrong with that. Just that Marinette didn’t know how to handle the situation if it was. Her complete list of boyfriends added up to just under zero. She hadn’t even had her first ki—

 _No! I’m not going to think about kissing Adrien. That’s just too weird._ She shook her head and went to grab her bag but her phone buzzed in her hand, causing her to jump in surprise.

Friday - 3:47 PM

**_Adrien Agreste:_ ** _Heading out now. I’ll be at your place in ten minutes._

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _Okay, I’m ready now. Text me when you get here._

 

 **_Adrien Agreste:_ ** _K._

 

 

Just as he said, he arrived ten minutes later on the dot. Marinette headed down to the street when he honked, even though she told him to text her. When she walked through the bakery her parents were still closing up for the day and serving the last few customers. As Tom assisted one of their regular patrons, Sabine peeked out the shop’s windows and looked at Adrien, her eyes going wide.

“Is that him?” She asked incredulously.

Marinette glanced out the window and saw him leaning against his car in his usual black leather jacket and stylish navy jeans. He had a white v-neck t-shirt under his jacket that looked expensive despite being so simple. Marinette saw the way the fabric shifted in the light—definitely high quality.

“Yeah, that’s him.” Marinette wondered why her mother seemed so shocked. Sure, he looked a bit rebellious but nothing crazy. Then, Marinette saw his car.

A gorgeous Mercedes-Benz was parked behind him, it’s black exterior reflecting the warm October sunset. It was probably the most beautiful car Marinette had ever seen. She had never been so close to something that expensive, and now she was about to ride in it. Marinette had a hunch that his family was pretty well-off, but she had no idea he had _this_ much money.

Adrien glanced towards the windows and saw Marinette and her mother staring in disbelief at him. He chuckled and shook his head and Marinette could feel her face going red. There was no point in pretending they hadn’t been staring now. He pushed off from his car and entered the bakery, the bell jingling above his head.

“Evening, Marinette,” he said in that honey-smooth voice that turned her insides to jelly. He turned to her mother and offered his hand. “You must be Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.”

Sabine smiled and clasped his hand. “Just Mrs. Cheng, actually. My husband, Tom, is in the back.” She released his hand after their quick greeting and smirked at him. “So, Marinette couldn’t tell me this earlier, but…is this a date?”  
_“Maman!”_ Marinette said a little too loudly. A few people turned towards her, wondering what the commotion was about. Sabine merely laughed and patted Marinette on the shoulder.

“Relax, Honey, I’m just teasing.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, attempting to shrug off the awkward question with a chuckle.

“Well, Ma’am, that depends on your daughter. If she desires a date, then a date it shall be.”

 _Damn, he’s good._ Marinette stared up at him in surprise. He sounded genuine, but she knew he was just putting on a face for her mom. Sabine nodded and pushed the two teens out the door before they could get another word in.

“Alright, have fun on your “maybe” date!” The door chimed again as she shut it, leaving them standing on the curb. Adrien and Marinette exchanged awkward glances before they walked towards his car.

He opened the door for her and she climbed in carefully, being more cautious than she had ever been in her life. The leather seats were unbelievably comfortable, their texture so soft that it could have been made of silk. The windows were tinted, though the evening sun still shined through the glass and turned the interior of the car orange and pink. Adrien slipped into the driver’s seat a few moments later, turning the engine over and bringing the car to life. They drove in near silence, neither sure how to initiate a conversation. However, as they neared the movie theater a question sprung to Marinette’s mind.

“Adrien?” She called quietly.

“Hm?”

“What are we going to see?”

“Oh,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road, “It’s a psychological thriller. Don’t worry, it has really good reviews, I’m sure you’ll like it.” They turned the corner to the theater soon after, and Adrien pulled up to the curb and dug around in his pocket for his wallet. “Here’s some cash. Can you go buy the tickets while I go find a parking spot?”

Marinette opened the door and hopped onto the sidewalk. “Sure. See you in a few minutes.”

She watched him drive away down the road and headed towards the ticket booth once he was out of sight. After a few minutes of waiting, she got to the front of the line and handed the cash to the theater employee.

“Two tickets for… Uhm…” Marinette realized she had never actually asked for the  _name_ of the movie. She looked up at the board and looked for any psychological thrillers. Unfortunately, the posters looked similar to the horror films showing and she couldn’t differentiate between them. “I’m so sorry about this,” she said to the ticket agent, “what thrillers are showing right now?”

The agent seemed slightly miffed at her for holding up the line but told her anyway. “We’ve got two showing right now, _Cold Walls_ and _Rose in the Crosshairs.”_

Marinette rubbed her hands nervously. The people behind her were beginning to get antsy as well. “Two for… _Rose in the Crosshairs.”_

“Okay.” They finished the transaction and she handed Marinette the tickets and receipt. Marinette moved out of the way of the next customer and saw Adrien walking up the steps towards the ticket booth. Marinette clutched the tickets in her hands, each step he took increasing her worry.

“Did you get the tickets?” He asked once he arrived at her location.

“Y-yeah, but you didn’t tell me the name of the movie. I had to guess.”

“Oh crap, I didn’t?” Marinette saw his mind working as he recalled their past conversations. “I could’ve sworn I did. Well, which movie did you get the tickets for?”

“ _Rose in the Crosshairs.”_

“Oh, the movie I was hoping to see was _Cold Walls.”_

 _Damn it,_ Marinette thought. Of course she would get it wrong with a fifty-fifty chance. Her luck has always been pretty bad.

“Maybe I can go ask for her to switch the tickets?”

“Nah,” he said, walking into the building, “It’s fine. I’ve heard good things about that movie too.”

Marinette decided to let him do as he pleased, she already felt bad enough anyway. They went to the snack counter and bought a large popcorn and two drinks before heading into the theater to find some seats. The room was pretty packed, and the only place they could find was at the very top row. As they shuffled past the other people in the aisle, being careful not to bump knees with anyone, the lights dimmed but the previews didn’t start. When she plopped into her seat, Marinette felt her phone buzz in her bag.

 

 

  
Friday - 4:32 PM

 

_**Chat Noir is now online.** _

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Hey, LB. I’ve got a few minutes to chat if you’re not busy._

 

_**Ladybug is now online.** _

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _I’m not, but I don’t have long. Have to go again soon._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _That’s ok, I just wanted to know if you think you’ll be home in time to play anything later. :)_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Probably. We’ll see. Not sure how late I’ll be out._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Alright, hit me up later if you can. If you don’t mind my asking, what is it that you’re so preoccupied with today?_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _I will. If you must know, I’m on a date._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _A date, eh? You let me know if the guy tries anything. I’ll kick his ass. ;P_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _I doubt you could. He could probably kick yours into the ground. No offense, though._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Me-ouch, my lady has no confidence in me. But I could win, you never know. I have to go now, LB. I’m serious though, let me know if you need a bodyguard. I’ll be at your side faster than you can say my name._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Thanks, Chaton. Talk to you later. :)_

 

**_Chat Noir is now offline._ **

 

 

 

Marinette turned her phone off as the previews started rolling, slipping it into her purse so she wouldn’t bother anyone. Adrien was doing the same, not saying a word. She silently prayed he wasn’t already bored. If only she’d gotten the right tickets.

 

**. . .**

 

“Holy cow, that was amazing!”

“I know, right?”

“The moments leading up to his father’s death were so suspenseful!”

“I wonder if the girl saw his body or not after he jumped… ”

Marinette and Adrien were exiting the theater while raving about the movie they saw. Both were on the edge of their seats for most of the film, which was a clear sign that it was good. Marinette absolutely loved it, and Adrien was pretty excited as well. This was the first time she’d seen him without his false persona, and it was refreshing.

“You’re pretty cute when you’re animated,” she said without thinking. Immediately, she regretted her choice of words.

“Trying to flirt with me, are you?” Marinette blushed and looked up at him, noticing his toothy smirk.

“No!” She quickly denied, “I’ve just never seen you this happy about something.” She shook her head to clear her thoughts and tried to find another subject to change the conversation to. “Do you think we should head home yet?”

Adrien pulled out his phone and checked the time. “We can if you want to. But it’s only six-thirty.”

“I’m okay with staying out for a little longer.”

“Okay, want to grab some pizza before I take you home? There’s a really good place around here.”

“Sure, I could go for some food.” Marinette tossed the empty popcorn container and her soda cup in the trash as they walked down the steps of the theater. Adrien took the lead and they walked for a few minutes before arriving at the pizza joint.

“You can get anything you want here—literally. If you can think of it, they’ll put it on a pizza.” Adrien held open the door for Marinette as they entered the restaurant.

“Anything? So if I want a pizza with nothing but candy on top, they’d do it?”

“You might get some weird looks, but sure.” They walked up to the front counter and the waiter seated them next to the window, which overlooked the Seine. Marinette hadn’t realized how close they were to the river before.

“This place is nice,” Marinette observed, taking in the classic Italian architecture of the building. She opened her menu and glanced at the numerous pizza options. However, something caught her eye that nearly caused her to have a heart attack. “Adrien!” She whispered with force, “Why is it so expensive?”

He looked confused. “I told you it was really good.”

“Yeah, but this is the Le Meurice of pizza!”

“Come on, it’s not _that_ expensive.”

“It’s forty euros for one pizza,” she pointed at the menu to demonstrate her point, “I can’t afford that!”

“Look, if you’re worried about it, I’ll cover the cost. Besides, what kind of man would I be if I let you pay for your own food on our first date?”

“I can’t let you—” Marinette paused, “Wait, so you _do_ think this is a date?”

“I guess, but if you don’t want it to be one then that’s fine. It doesn’t make a difference to me.”

“Oh,” she said, slightly dejected. She scanned her list of options once again, looking for the cheapest pizza she could find. All of the most appetizing pizzas were much more expensive, but she was able to find a small plain pepperoni pizza that was a reasonable price. Soon after, a waitress with rainbow-dyed hair arrived at their table and started asking for their orders when a flash of recognized crossed her face.

“How may I—Oh my gosh, Adrien?” She asked.

“Hey!” The blonde said, smiling at her. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah! How’ve you been?” The two began chatting a little, catching up on what had been going on in their lives. Marinette managed to catch that Adrien used to go to school together with her and her boyfriend. “Oh, I’m sorry. I should probably get back to work,” she said after a minute, pulling out her pencil and paper, “What would you two like to eat?”

“A medium Sicilian supreme for me,” Adrien told her, folding his menu.

“I’ll have a small pepperoni pizza,” Marinette said, copying Adrien’s movements as she handed her own menu to the waitress.

Adrien quirked an eyebrow at her. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else? A pepperoni pizza is kind of plain.”

“Yeah, it’s fine, I like pepperoni.” Adrien shrugged but didn’t protest. After the waitress had left, Marinette began sipping on her water awkwardly, reverting them back to the state they were in before.

Soon after, their pizzas arrived. Although Marinette had only gotten the standard pepperoni, it was probably the best pizza she’d ever eaten. She could only imagine what Adrien’s tasted like. She saw the cheese dripping off the slice he had cut in creamy globs.

Adrien’s eyes flicked up to hers and followed her line of sight to his own pizza, and he chuckled. “You want a slice?” He asked.

“I-I’m okay,” she said, slightly embarrassed she’d been caught.

“Come on, you’re an open book. Besides, this will be too much food for me to finish on my own.”

Reluctantly, Marinette agreed to take a single slice from him. She took a bite and immediately felt the wave of flavors wash over her tongue. She had no idea pizza could taste like this. Adrien was right, this was _really_ good. She opened her eyes, which she hadn’t realized were closed, when Adrien started laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” She asked, glaring at him.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” he said between breaths, “your face had this look of pure bliss just from eating pizza.”

Marinette pouted. “It tastes really good!”

“No kidding.” Adrien stifled a few more chuckles at her puffed out cheeks. They continued eating and made light conversation about the movie until they had finished their meals. When the check came, Adrien made it impossible for her to see the total cost of their dinner. She tried leaning over the table to look, but he put it into his lap each time. With a huff, she gave up and slumped back into her seat.

Soon after, they left and headed back to his car. The sidewalk was pretty crowded with people, and a group drunk college students walked by boisterously. Marinette noticed Adrien walking a bit closer to her than usual, but wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was just her imagination. Luckily the restaurant had been close to where he parked, so they only had to walk a block before they arrived.

“So,” Marinette said, “How much was the check?”

“Not telling,” Adrien replied as he opened the door for her. Marinette caught a glimpse of his cheeky grin from under the lamppost.

“Why not? I need to reimburse you.”

“That’s exactly why I won’t tell you.” He walked around to the driver’s side and slid in. “Besides, I noticed you got the cheapest pizza they served.”

“I-I did?” She asked, feigning ignorance, “I had no idea.”

“You’re a _really_ bad liar.”

Adrien started the car and began driving back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. They chatted about school and the weather, but nothing too personal. Over the course of the ride, Marinette glanced over several times and caught him looking in her direction too. It was typically at intersections though, so it could’ve just been him watching traffic.

“What sort of hobbies do you have?” Adrien asked, tapping his finger on the steering wheel in time with the quiet music that was playing over the radio.

“Oh,” Marinette said, “I like to design clothes.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I also play video games a lot.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “Really? I do too. Would have never guessed you were a gamer.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marinette asked, smiling and raising her brow at him.

“Nothing, you just don’t fit the usual ‘gamer girl’ aesthetic.”

Marinette laughed. “What about you? You don’t exactly look that way either.”

“Guess we’re both odd ones.”

Marinette giggled and watched the passing cars outside of the window. “So,” she began, “what are we going to do about tomorrow?”

“Oh,” he said, remembering the gala, “it’s at Le Grand Paris hotel at six o’clock. I can pick you up again if you wan—”

“Wait,” Marinette interrupted, “Le Grand Paris? Isn’t that André Bourgeois'hotel?”

“Yeah. Chloé will probably be there too.”

“Crap.” Marinette saw the corner of her house come into view as Adrien rounded the turn.

“Don’t worry, Chloé might do that shit at school but she wouldn’t jeopardize her father’s social standing. Besides, you’re going with me.” Adrien pulled up to the curb in front of her house and unlocked the doors, allowing Marinette to step onto the sidewalk.

“You promise nothing will happen?” She asked, bending over so he could see her face.

“I promise. I’ll even be your bodyguard.”

Marinette was taken aback. Chat Noir had said the exact same thing earlier. What were the chances that two boys would be offering to protect her? The thought made her happy, and she felt a flush rise to her cheeks.

“I’m surprised to admit it, but I had a really fun time tonight.” She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, hoping Adrien didn’t think she was trying to flirt with him.

“Why? You didn’t think I was capable of being tolerable?” She caught his smirk and knew he wasn’t taking it personally.

“I mean, you _did_ only help me the other day for your own personal gain.”

“That’s true. But I’ll have you know, I’m not all bad.”

“I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

Another playful grin flashed across his face. “Oh my, I do hope the court doesn’t find me guilty.”

“Perhaps you should invest in a good lawyer.” Marinette felt her face burn, though she knew he couldn’t see it in the dim light. What was wrong with her? She didn’t _want_ to flirt with him.

“That’s good advice, I think I’ll call one when I get home.”

Marinette giggled and straightened herself, getting ready to close the door. Before she could, she was interrupted by a hard object probing her thigh.

“Wait,” Adrien said, “You forgot your phone on the seat.”

“Oh, thanks.” She tried to take it from him, but he held onto it for a moment longer. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, sorry,” he apologized, “I was just looking at the sticker on the back. It’s cute.”

“Thanks,” Marinette said, glancing at the ladybug that was glued to her phone case, “A girl I babysit stuck it on there.” She put her cell phone in her purse and placed her hand on the door and went to close it, but Adrien’s voice interrupted her yet again.

“I had a nice time tonight, too.”

Marinette’s face flared up. “That’s good to hear. I’ll see you tomorrow; pick me up at five-thirty?”

“Sure thing.”

With a thump, Marinette finally closed the door. She turned and walked towards the front door of the bakery, pulling out her keys and inserting them into the lock. As she opened the door, she realized Adrien still hadn’t left. She gave him one final wave, which he returned. Once she had closed the door he drove off, with Marinette following his car with her eyes until he disappeared.

The redness of her face gradually vanished as his car got further and further away. With a heavy sigh, the girl slumped into one of the bakery’s chairs, placing her forehead on the table.

 

_What am I doing?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These darn kids always textin' instead of talkin' to each other face-to-face! Back in my day, we had to walk twenty miles just to talk to anyone we knew. In a blizzard!  
> No seriously though, I wrote this and I'm shaking my head at their denseness. -.-'
> 
> Leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed!


	6. Time of Judgement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party ain't a party 'til some shit goes down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM REALLY REALLY SORRY I'VE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG! AHHHHHH I FINALLY FINISHED CHAPTER 6 :D
> 
> In all seriousness, thank you to everyone that have continued reading until now! (even through my inconsistent upload schedule)
> 
> Tumblr: elioren.tumblr.com

 

_What am I doing?_

 

The blonde tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, the lights from the street shining onto the dashboard. Adrien’s car had been parked in front of his house for nearly ten minutes without him moving from his seat. He’d been able to avoid his thoughts while driving, but once he turned off the engine, they all caught up to him.

_Why in the hell was I flirting with her so much? Sure, it was very entertaining, but she might get the wrong idea. This is all so I can get Dad off my case about Chloé. I don’t want Marinette to end up actually liking me, that wouldn’t end well for anyone._

Adrien finally exited the car with a sigh and walked up the front steps of his house, swinging his key chain around his finger. The door opened, followed by his father’s secretary, Nathalie. They exchanged brief greetings as Adrien headed up the staircase to his room. Groaning, he let his body fall onto his bed with a thump. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his computer light up with a new message. Instantly, he knew who it was from.

 _I’m so stupid,_ he thought, _actually considering that she could be Ladybug just because of a sticker on her phone. Plus, she wasn’t even the one who put it there._ As he pushed himself off his bed his foot collided with something, sending him forward.

“Shit!” Adrien yelled, tripping over whatever he kicked. He glanced back and saw a black mound on the floor, curled up in a sleeping ball. “Damn it Plagg, why did you have to sleep right there?”

The cat glanced up at him, completely unfazed by Adrien’s outburst. He yawned and stretched his legs, looking up at his owner with bright green eyes before falling asleep again. Adrien rolled his own green orbs and continued to his desk. He slipped into his chair and clicked his mouse a few times, opening his message thread.

 

Friday - 8:41 PM 

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Hey Tomcat, I’m home. :D_

 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Evening, My Lady. How was your date?_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _It actually went pretty well, surprisingly._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _That’s good._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _…You okay?_

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Yes, why do you ask?_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _No reason. Anyways, I’m ready to try out that new game again._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _You sure? I’ve been practicing my combos since you last played. Do you think you can handle it? ;)_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Bring it on, furball._

 

“Wow, you actually have gotten better.”

“That’s what I told you, L.B.”

“Too bad you’re still not good enough.” Marinette ended the round with a devastating combo, the large **“K.O.”** appearing on screen in bright red letters.

“Damn it!” Chat cursed into his microphone, “I was sure I’d get you that time.”

“Better luck next time, _Chaton.”_ Marinette tossed her controller on her desk and leaned back in her chair, resting her eyes for a moment. Through her headphones, she heard Chat sigh.

“You’re too good for me, Ladybug.” He chuckled in defeat before his volume rose dramatically. “Holy crap! It’s one in the morning already!”

“Oh my gosh,” Marinette said, checking her own clock, “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I have to go. There’s somewhere I need to be tomorrow and I don’t want to be yawning through it.”

“Me too,” Marinette said as she began shutting down her computer, “Goodnight, Chat!”

“Wait,” He said quietly.

“What's up?”

He was silent for a few moments, the only sound coming from him was his faint breathing. “Nothing, never mind.”

“Are you sure?” Marinette asked, slightly worried about her friend’s sudden change in tone.

“Yeah, it’s nothing."

 _"Chaton,_ you know I won't be able to sleep knowing you left something unsaid." She felt bad for pushing, but it something seemed wrong with him. Chat was rarely serious like this.

Marinette heard him sigh through her headset. "It's just...GAH! I don't know."

"Kitty?"

"The guy you went on a date with... do you like him?" 

Marinette was taken aback.  _That's_ what he was upset over? Was... Chat jealous of Adrien? If only she could tell him the truth about their situation. To be honest, she wasn't sure if the whole secret extended to online friends, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Ladybug?"

Marinette shook her head, realizing she hadn't answered his question. "I'm not sure yet. He's nice but likes to put on a front a lot of the time." 

"Hm." Chat didn't react beyond a simple hum, silence echoing through her headphones.

"I'm... sorry?" Marinette apologized, though she wasn't sure why.

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because... I'm getting the sense that all your flirtatious actions might not have been illegitimate." She cringed at her own words. Really, that was the best she could come up with?

Chat chuckled. "I'm surprised it took you this long, My Lady. I've only been hitting on you for what, eight, almost nine months?"

"Wow, has it really been that long?"

"Yep. Get ready, our anniversary is just around the corner." There was the Chat she knew. Goofy and playful like always. 

Marinette exhaled with contentment. "Almost too hard to believe. Maybe I'll buy you a present for our anniversary."

"If possible, I'd like to take you out on a date." Marinette knew he was only jesting, but something stirred in her stomach. 

"I'll... think about it." 

 

**.**

**.**

**.**

 

**Blink.**

 

**Blink blink.**

 

_Is she serious?_

 

 _"Chaton?"_ Ladybug's concerned voice said through the headset. However, Adrien was in too much of a daze to respond.

"Kitty? You there?" Adrien heard her mouse clicking, probably checking to see if he was still in the call. 

"Chat! Are you okay?" The mild panic in her voice brought him back to his senses, shaking his head to clear the tsunami of thoughts that had been consuming him.

"Yes!" He assured her, "Sorry, L.B. I was just... distracted. You really mean it? You'll think about going on a date with me sometime?" Hope filled his tone, and he silently prayed his excitement wasn't too obvious. 

"Y-yeah," she stuttered, "I'll consider it. But keep in mind that this isn't a 'yes!'"

"It's good enough for me! Even if you end up saying 'no,' you'll still have thought about it. And knowing that is almost better than the real thing." Ladybug giggled, and Adrien wished he could see if her face was blushing.  _How cute that must be..._

 _"_ Alright, Chat. I'll consider meeting up with you. But not before our anniversary! It has to be special!"

"You got it, Bugaboo. I'll do my best to convince you over the next few months!" Adrien had to hold onto the bottom of his chair to refrain from leaping out of it.

"Okay, I have to go to bed now. It's almost one-thirty." Adrien heard the clicking of her phone in the background as she checked the time.

"Of course, I would never intentionally deprive you of beauty rest."

"Please, if either of us is sleeping for their beauty, it's you." 

"True, but that's irrelevant." Adrien leaned on his desk, his head still giddy from her proposition. "Goodnight, My Lady." 

"Goodnight,  _Chaton."_

 

**Call ended: Duration - 5 hours, 46 minutes.**

 

As soon as the call ended, Adrien leapt off his chair and bounded to his bed like a little school girl. She said she'd think about it! It was almost too much for him to handle. Nine months of pining for the mysterious girl behind the screen was finally paying off. Even if she said "no" in the end, his happiness in this moment was enough to last until their  _next_ anniversary.

With these thoughts running through his head, Adrien was hardly able to sleep. But after much tossing and turning, the teen was finally able to slip into a sweet, ladybug-filled slumber. 

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette set the curling iron on the bathroom counter, unplugging it quickly so she wouldn’t forget to. She tousled her hair slightly, allowing her bouncy curls to fall around her shoulders.

 _Alright, looks good,_ she mentally approved. Her makeup had already been done, all that was left was to assemble her outfit. She exited the bathroom and walked to her dresser, pulling out one of her favorite dresses. It was a white lace halter neck top with a red layered skirt that ended just above her knees. Of course, she had made it herself. The fabric cascaded down her body as she slipped it over her head, though she was careful not to let it touch her face. She strapped on her white ballet flats, as she was never a fan of heels. Every time Marinette wore them she would trip twice as much as usual.

She observed herself in the mirror, deciding that she should put on some jewelry to balance out the white of her dress. She took her favorite pearl earrings and clipped them in place, finally approving of the results.

“Marinette!” Sabine called from downstairs, “Adrien’s here to pick you up!”

“Coming!” Marinette grabbed her phone off her desk and checked the time. How was it already five-thirty? She grabbed everything she could think of needing: lipstick, mascara, band-aids, a miniature sewing kit for wardrobe malfunctions, and a small mirror. Stuffing everything into her small purse, she headed downstairs into the bakery.

The second she walked in, all eyes moved to her. Tom had been in the middle of a conversation with Adrien, who was looking _very_ nice in his tailor-fit suit, but both stopped when she arrived. Sabine complimented her appearance, saying she “looked like she could be on a runway.” Of course, Marinette would never  _want_ to be on a runway. She preferred designing the outfits, not wearing them to show off.

“Where are you two off to tonight?” Tom asked, pulling Adrien’s attention back to their previous conversation.

“My father is hosting a party tonight at Le Grand Paris Hotel.” Though he was speaking to Tom, Marinette noticed the way his eyes kept flicking to her.

“Oh!” Sabine chimed, “Sounds like fun. Doesn’t your classmate’s father, Mayor Bourgeois, own that building?” Marinette cringed internally. Her parents were blissfully unaware of her daily interactions with Chloé.

“Y-Yeah,” Adrien said awkwardly, “He does.”

“Well, we won’t hold you kids up,” Tom chuckled, “Have a good time!”

Marinette and Adrien said their goodbyes to her parents, exiting the bakery to walk towards his car. They closed the doors as Adrien started the engine, filling the car with the light hum of the motor. As they drove they talked about what they had done earlier that day. While Adrien had gone over to Nino’s house, Marinette had only helped in the bakery. As they got closer to the hotel, the top of the building came into view.

“Hey, Adrien?”

“Yeah?” He replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now… Who exactly is your father?”

Adrien hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Gabriel Agreste. He owns the fashion brand, _Gabriel.”_

Marinette felt her stomach leap into her throat. “Oh my god,” she gasped, “Oh my GOD!”

Adrien turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t know?”

“Of _course_ I didn’t know!” She nearly screeched, “I thought it was just a coincidence you had the same last name as my _favorite_ designer!”

“Oh,” he replied nonchalantly, “I figured you would have heard about it in class or something.” He pulled up to the valet parking and stepped out of the car. After handing his keys to the assistant, he noticed Marinette still hadn’t gotten out of the car. He walked around and opened the door to see what was wrong, only to find her staring at the dashboard blankly.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I… I have to go back home and change. I can’t wear _this_ if I’m going to meet Gabriel Agreste!” Marinette began chewing on her nails nervously, only to be stopped by Adrien’s hand on hers.

“What’s wrong with what you’re wearing now? It looks great.” Marinette’s panic nearly subsided at his compliment, but it wasn’t enough.

“I designed it. I don’t want him thinking that this is the best I can do!” She held the skirt away from her body as if it repulsed her.

“Are you kidding?” He said as he gently coaxed her out of the car, attempting not to hold up traffic, “It’s amazing! I didn’t know you _made_ this!”

“It’s not my best work,” she said, her eyes downcast, “I didn’t know how fancy of an event this was so I kept it simple.”

“Well, as Leonardo da Vinci once said, ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’”

“But…” Marinette protested, “Don’t we have any time to go back? It’s not a long drive.”

“Well, it’s a little late now. The valet already took my car.”

Marinette whipped around and saw that, sure enough, Adrien’s car was disappearing into the underground parking area of the hotel. Before she could protest further, Adrien placed his hand on her lower back and guided her towards the hotel entrance, ignoring her worried mumbles.

“You’ll be fine,” he assured her.

“What do I say? Should I say anything at all or just keep quiet?”

Adrien sighed. “Honestly, if you want to make a good first impression just smile and agree with everything he says. He doesn’t usually engage in socializing; this is all for business.” Marinette noticed the bitter tone in his voice. Were they not on good terms?

They walked into the lobby of the hotel, which was decorated lavishly with red, white, and gold furnishings. There were roses on nearly every table, even on the reception desk. The hotel staff greeted Adrien when he entered and directed them to the lounge, where the party was taking place. When they entered the elevator, Marinette immediately recognized the smell. It was _exactly_ like the perfume Chloé always wore. Did she spray the stuff in the elevator when she went up?

As soon as the doors opened, Marinette instantly felt overwhelmed. There were people filling nearly every corner of the room. Luckily, it distracted her from the panic that had been stirring inside her. Unluckily, Marinette’s introverted nature kicked into high gear and her eyes quickly scanned the crowd, looking for somewhere isolated she could retreat to in a few minutes. She heard the distinct shrill laughter of Chloé from somewhere nearby, so she kept her head down. If there was anyone who would create a scene about this, it was her.

Adrien guided her out of the elevator and melted them into the crowd, attempting to keep as much attention off of them as possible. Despite his efforts, several pairs of eyes turned towards them. Adrien and Chloé were usually a hot topic of discussion at these events, so it was highly unusual to see one without the other.

Just as Marinette was about to ask where he was taking her, the bar came into view. She looked over each person, but some had their backs to her. Adrien walked straight up to a group of people and cleared his throat behind one of them.

“Father, I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

Marinette’s stomach leapt into her throat for the second time that night, bringing her pulse skyrocketing with it.

Standing with champagne in hand was her idol, Gabriel Agreste. He had been greeting various guests, many of which looked like rich businessmen and women. Marinette had expected to meet him at some point that night, but not so soon after arriving. Though, this was the whole reason she was here in the first place.

“Evening, Adrien,” Gabriel said in a level tone, “who is this?” His icy blue eyes traveled to her face, and then to her clothes. Typical of a designer.

“This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She is accompanying me tonight.” Though Marinette’s thoughts were racing, she managed to smile up at him politely.

“I see. Is that why you’re without with Chloé?”

 _Wow, that’s blunt,_ Marinette thought. She noticed the formality in their voices when they spoke to each other, and thought it was odd of a father and son.

“Chloé and I are… not on good terms at the moment. But that aside, I prefer Marinette over her.”

Gabriel turned to Marinette, looking her over once again. “Dupain-Cheng… I recall that name. Isn’t that the bakery next to Adrien’s school?”  
“Y-yes,” Marinette said, still quite nervous, “My parents own it.”

“I see,” he repeated, raising his eyebrow slightly, “Do you wish to follow in their footsteps?”

Marinette glanced up at Adrien, who looked back at her with a slightly worried smile. “No, I… actually want to work in the fashion industry.”

“Do you now?” His voice was unwavering, showing no hints of what he was really thinking.

“Yes, I’ve always wanted to become a designer.”

Adrien stepped in a little too quickly. “She actually designed the dress she’s wearing.”

“Hm…” Gabriel hummed. He flicked his eyes over her for the third time, looking at her outfit in a new light. “Plain, yet elegant. Quite suitable for an event such as this.” He set his drink on the bar, extending his hand out towards her. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. I must attend to the rest of my guests now.” Marinette shook his hand and watched as he walked into the crowd, becoming one with the sea of people. Once he was out of sight, Marinette turned to Adrien as tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

“Oh my god. I’m really sorry for this, but I have to freak out again. **Oh my GOD!”** She put her hands on her cheeks, smacking them lightly. Was this a dream? She had just had an actual conversation with one of the biggest names in the fashion industry. And he’d _complimented_ her.

“Keep your voice down,” he said, pulling her away from the crowded bar, “I’m actually surprised that went so well.”

“He liked my outfit,” she scream-whispered, “ _He liked my outfit!”_

“I know, I was there.” He smirked down at her, thoroughly enjoying her reactions.

“You were right, I should’ve listened to you instead of stressing out earlier.” She took several deep breaths, attempting to find her composure.

Adrien clapped her on the shoulder lightly. “Well, at least it all turned out okay in the end. Now, back to business.” He leaned over the counter and waved the bartender down, ordering two glasses of sparkling wine. The bartender looked at Adrien incredulously for a moment before realizing who he was.

“You can do that?” Marinette asked as the man set two glasses on the marble countertop. Wasn’t Adrien underage like her?

“Yeah, my father bought the alcohol for the party. Besides, it’s just wine.” He handed a glass to her, sipping on his own drink briefly. “As I was saying, business. After tonight, I likely won’t have a need for you anymore. If anything, an occasional picture of us together to show my father would be sufficient.”

“Wow, you’re almost as blunt as your father.” Marinette caught him flinch out of the corner of her eye. Did she say something she wasn’t supposed to?

“Just making sure there isn’t any miscommunication.”

“Why won’t we need to pretend as much anymore?” She asked, taking a small taste of her sparkling wine. It was bitter, yet also had sweet undertones. The carbonation tingled on the tip of her tongue.

“He’s seen you, met you. He’s not one to get caught up in personal matters. If anything, he’ll think this is a small fling. By the time he realizes that it’s long term, it’ll be too late for him to break us up.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette tried not to feel giddy that he was speaking as if their relationship was real. Not that she  _wanted_ them to be an item, but the thought of having a boyfriend made her excited.

“Long term relationships tend to be harder to disband. Sure, it happens, but it’s not as likely.”

Marinette pulled herself onto a barstool, unsure of what to say. They had accomplished what they had set out to do that evening, so what was next?

Her thoughts were interrupted by that same shrill laughter from earlier. She immediately whipped her head around, looking for a place to duck into. Perhaps the crowd? No, _she_ might be there. Marinette glanced frantically around the room, but the sound of high heels clacking on the marble floor snapped her attention elsewhere.

Great, the one person she didn’t want to run into at this party.

Chloé stood several feet away from the bar, staring at Adrien with a glowing expression. Then, she noticed Marinette. In the blink of an eye, the blonde’s mood turned sour, her lip curling upwards in a sneer.

“Dupain-Cheng. What are _you_ doing here?” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Marinette prayed she had enough common sense to not stir up trouble in public. _Again._

Adrien’s voice cut in from beside her. “Marinette is my plus one.”

“Why would you think of bringing someone like _her_ to this event?” Chloé asked in disbelief. They both knew what she meant: middle class, average. Although, it was also likely she meant Marinette specifically.

“We’re in a relationship.” Adrien kept his answers short, with no room for personal interpretation.

“You’re _what?!”_ Chloé nearly shrieked. Several people around them turned to see what the commotion was about.

“Chloé, keep your voice down. You shouldn’t need Adrien to babysit you twenty-four seven.” At first, Chloé was appalled. But then she realized the ruckus she was causing and her cheeks burned with shame. From next to her, Marinette heard Adrien stifling a chuckle.

“Fine,” she snapped, “I’ll be civil… for tonight. One of you _will_ explain on Wednesday.” Oh, right. Chloé's suspension would be lifted on Wednesday. She called the bartender over with a wave and ordered a champagne. Were all the minors drinking tonight?

“Much appreciated,” Marinette retorted. The glare Chloé sent her could have killed. It was like she was digging her perfectly sharp, manicured nails into Marinette’s skin with only her eyes. Once she left to return to wherever she’d come from, Marinette sighed. “Probably should’ve kept my mouth shut, huh?”

“Nah, it was entertaining.” He took another sip from his drink. “You know what’s great about you, Marinette?”

“No, what?” She asked, eager to hear what he thought about her.

“You don’t take bullshit from anyone, including Chloé. You talk back to her when she’s being bitchy and don’t let her put you down.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed. “Yeah, I guess so. It wasn’t always like this. I used to let her do whatever she wanted.”

Adrien cocked an eyebrow at her. “Exactly how long has she been bullying you?”

“Uhm…” She had to search through the archives of her mind before answering. “When I started going to this school. So… a little over two years?

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. Is it really that surprising?”

“And I _never_ noticed?”

“Apparently.”

“Well, that makes me feel shitty.” He rested his chin in his hand, glaring over the bar.

“Don’t,” Marinette reassured him, “it’s not your fault. Besides, she wasn’t as… vocal about it before.”

“Still though,” he grumbled, “I wish I noticed sooner. Could’ve saved you a lot of pain.”

“It’s fine. Look, I’m still in one piece, see?” She held out her arms for emphasis, showing that she was indeed well-constructed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Adrien rolled his eyes, “you know what I mean, though.”

Marinette nodded as she finished the last of her drink. The glass clinked on the marble when she set it down, reverberating up the stem into the bowl. The sound it made reminded her of something, but she couldn’t remember what exactly. Something about a sound wine glasses made?

“Hey,” she said after a moment of contemplation, “what’s that thing people do that makes wine glasses ring?”

“Oh, the finger thing?” He asked, though he was taken slightly off guard by the randomness of her question.

“I think so.”

“Here, it’s like this.” Adrien removed his hand from his glass and brought his fingers to his mouth. In an almost-too-erotic way, he licked his index finger. Marinette had to look away as her cheeks flared up to rid her mind of impure thoughts. When she glanced back, she almost didn’t notice the tiny smirk that caused the corners of his mouth to curl. _Bastard._

More delicately than Marinette would have thought possible of him, Adrien placed his moistened finger on the rim of the glass. With a slow motion, he began circling it around. Sure enough, a nice ring emanated from it.

“Yeah!” Marinette cheered, “That’s the thing!”

Adrien chuckled and removed his finger from the glass. “Thought so. Why did you want to know, though?”

“I dunno. It just popped into my head.”

Adrien watched her from the corner of his eye. “Well, a thought just popped into mine. Want to go up to the pool? It’s quieter there.”

Marinette arched an eyebrow at him. _“Up_ to the pool?”

“Yeah, it’s on the roof.”

She debated for a moment. It would be rude to leave the party early, but she didn’t doubt that there were guests up there too. Besides, more people had arrived in the last hour or so, and it was getting a bit stuffy by the bar. Wow, already an hour? Time sure does fly.

Marinette was surprised that Adrien had noticed before her. Usually, she was the first one to want to find a private corner at parties. Well, the few parties that she attended. They were more like social gatherings that her parents dragged her to. Perhaps Adrien was a bit introverted too?

“Sure, that sounds like a good idea,” she agreed as she slipped off of the barstool, “I could use some air.”

Adrien got off his stool as well, placing his hand on the comfortable space at the base of her spine and lead her through the crowd. She was thankful he did, as she would have gotten lost without him. She was nearly a head shorter than him and could barely see over the shoulders of everyone else.

The two weaved through the forest of people, careful not to bump into anyone. Once, Marinette’s shoulder hit the elbow of a _very_ peeved French aristocrat. She apologized as quickly as she could with Adrien steering her body elsewhere. As they neared the elevator, a voice called out from the mass of people.

“Adrien.” The two teens turned around, looking for the source of the voice. A moment later, Adrien's father emerged from behind a group of gossiping ladies.

“Father,” Adrien addressed him as sternly as Gabriel had.

“Where are you two going?”

“Up to the pool to get some air.”

Gabriel’s eyes flicked between them, lingering on Marinette for a moment longer than she felt comfortable with.

“I’d like to have a word with you, Adrien,” he glanced at the girl again, _“In private.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could Gabriel want with Adrien? o:  
> Leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed! It means a lot!! <3


	7. Something Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette learns something about her favorite designer and Adrien realizes there may be more than meets the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhhhhh my god. I'm so sorry it's been two months since I updated! I have no excuse other than I got so busy I completely forgot to write. BUT I'M BACK NOW, BABY.
> 
> tumblr: elioren.tumblr.com

 

“I’d like to have a word with you, Adrien. _In private.”_

 

Marinette’s eyes shifted awkwardly between the father and son, knowing she was clearly unwelcome in their conversation. Adrien glanced at her, unsure of what to say. Both of them stared at each other in silent understanding.

“I’ll just… grab some water and head up to the pool,” Marinette said awkwardly, turning away from them.

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” Adrien nodded to her and turned back to Gabriel, keeping his distance as the two left to go somewhere private.

Marinette went back to the bar and asked the bartender for a glass of ice water with a lemon, downing it quickly. The room was so packed with people it made the air feel hot and stuffy, so the refreshing drink really hit the spot.

With a clink, Marinette set the glass back on the counter and pushed herself off the barstool. When she removed her hand from the counter, she realized she’d accidentally touched something sticky, probably from someone’s food. She groaned in disgust and began walking back to the elevator.

 _I thought I saw the restrooms over there earlier,_ she recalled, wanting to wash off whatever she’d touched. Her anxiety swooped in again when she realized Adrien wasn’t here to help her through the crowded room. She glanced around, hoping she could see where he was, but there was no sign of him. Then, an idea struck her: stay near the edge of the room, there’s bound to be more people in the center anyways. These were socialites, after all.

Carefully, Marinette maneuvered through the bodies, many of which she was _positive_ were models. She bumped into a few people, but luckily none gave her more than an annoyed glare when she apologized. Eventually, the elevator came into view once again. As she got closer, she looked around for the restrooms and saw them conveniently nearby, right where she remembered them. Quickly, she ducked in and rinsed her hand of the sticky food residue. After she finished and exited the room, she stopped in her tracks when she heard a familiar pair of voices coming from down the hallway.

“I don’t care if that’s what you think,” said a voice, attempting to keep their volume low.

“I don’t _think,_ I _know,”_ replied a deeper one.

“Oh, really? Then tell me what you _do_ know about her.”

“I know she’s not good for you, Adrien.”

Marinette’s heart rate picked up. She’d just stumbled in on the very conversation she wasn’t meant to hear. She knew she should leave, but there was something exhilarating about listening in on “classified” information. If she got caught, she could just play it off like she was going to the bathroom. Wait, she _was_ going to the bathroom.

“How could you possibly know that?” Adrien sounded genuinely offended. If Marinette didn’t know better, she’d have thought he was.

Gabriel scoffed. “It’s obvious. She’s clearly attempting to use you for her own gain. Don’t you find it the least bit coincidental that she wants to be a designer, and just so happens to be dating you?”

Marinette could almost hear the growl in Adrien’s voice. “Who cares? Besides, Marinette’s not like you, someone who’s only interested in how others can benefit them. She actually _cares_ about me.”

“I do care about you, Adrien.”

“Bullshit. You only care about your work.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Figures you’d date someone as naive as yourself. You’re both immature, conceited, and stubborn. I’m glad you’re not inheriting _my_ company.”

Marinette’s face flared in anger. Without realizing, she turned the corner and glared at Gabriel’s back, the man not realizing she was there. Adrien’s eyes flicked to her once, then a second time. She saw his eyelids open wide in surprise before he tried to signal to her to leave. However, Gabriel noticed his gaze and turned around, looking down at Marinette with icy eyes.

“Ah, it seems your little girlfriend is an eavesdropper too.” Gabriel’s gaze didn’t waver, and neither did Marinette’s.

“How could you say that?” Marinette questioned, raising her voice.

“Am I incorrect? You _were_ listening in on our conversation, weren’t you?”

“That’s not what I mean! How could you say that to your own son? What kind of father are you?” Marinette saw Adrien’s jaw drop from the corner of her eye.

Gabriel’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you questioning my parenting?”

Marinette ignored his question. “I only met Adrien relatively recently, but in the short time I’ve known him, he’s been nothing but generous and kind, even if he puts on a tough front. He’s probably more mature than you could ever be!”

“Do not attempt to feed me lies. I know him better than you think I do. You’re lucky I haven’t called security to throw you out for this disrespect.”

Once again, Marinette ignored his threat. “I don’t care what you say about me. You can say I’m manipulating him, trying to get connections, lying, whatever. But you should _never_ say that about your own child! _Especially not to his face!_ ”

Heavy, suffocating silence hung in the air after Marinette’s exclamation. When Gabriel did nothing but glare, she walked past him, grabbed Adrien’s hand with her now clean one, and dragged him into the elevator. She hit the button for the top floor, and the doors shut a moment later. Adrien was still stuck in a stunned state, only able to stare at her. It was embarrassing having his eyes on her, but she didn’t mind.

When the doors opened again, the cool night air slapped her in the face. Since they’d entered the hotel, the temperature had dropped dramatically. Without a word, Marinette walked over to the lit pool, where she knelt down and splashed her hand in the water. The sticky residue washed off, leaving her skin clean. She heard Adrien walk up behind her, and turned to look at him. His hand was outstretched, quietly offering to help her up. She accepted and he lifted her to her feet gently.

“Marinette,” he finally said, “what you did back there was…”

The weight of the situation finally hit her. “Oh my god. What the hell was I thinking?” She began panicking, but Adrien’s hands on her shoulders calmed her.

“What you did back there,” he continued, staring into her eyes, “was _amazing._ I’ve never seen anyone stand up to him like that.”

She sighed. “I probably ruined everything, didn’t I?”

“What? No! In fact, I think you made it better. If that doesn’t convince him that we’re an item, I don’t know what will.”

“But he hates me now.” Marinette’s gaze fell to the floor. She likely just severed a potentially good connection with her one and only idol. Well, perhaps he wasn’t her idol anymore.

“To be fair, he hates everyone. Don’t take it personally.” Taking her hand in his, Adrien led her to the edge of the rooftop, leaning against the railing that overlooked the Parisian skyline. With a chuckle, he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “No one’s ever… defended me like that.”

“Really?” Marinette asked, “Not even your mom?”

Adrien’s eyes grew cold and distant. “She’s gone.”

Marinette winced. She had accidentally stumbled on some touchy territory. “I’m sorry. I.. I didn’t know.”

“Don’t be. Actually, you remind me of her. Headstrong and free-spirited.” Marinette smiled, accepting the compliment. The two of them stared out at the city, letting the events of the night sink in. After a minute or so of silence, Marinette glanced at him in concern.

“Hey, you okay?”

“What?” Adrien asked, snapping out of his trance. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“Well… earlier, when you stood up for me, were you acting?”

Marinette was surprised. Regardless, she smiled at him. “No.”

Adrien smiled back, wrapping his warm arm around her shoulders. “Thank you, Marinette.”

Marinette jumped blushed furiously. This was the most open she’d ever seen him. When he removed his arm, she shivered. The cool air hit her as the loss of warmth surprised her skin. Adrien noticed her goosebumps and removed his blazer, draping it over her shoulders without a word.

 _Why is he being so… courteous tonight?_ Marinette wondered. _Sure, he’s nice under that rough exterior, but he’s never been like this._ She felt her heart rate pick up speed, raising the temperature of her cheeks. _Could he possibly…? No–this is all part of the deal. Nothing more._

 

**_Nothing more._ **

 

* * *

 

When Marinette and Adrien finally decided to leave, it was nearing ten o’clock. Some of the party-goers had departed earlier, but most were still present, likely planning to stay up into the early hours of the morning. However, the two teens had school the next day and decided it was best not to stay out too late. Besides, neither of them wanted to be at the party any longer than necessary.

As the valet brought Adrien’s car around to the front of the hotel, Marinette shuffled awkwardly. Neither of them had spoken much after he gave her his jacket, letting a comfortable silence hang between them instead. It wasn’t weird at first, but after a while, Marinette couldn’t help feeling like she should say something.

When the car rolled up to the curb, Adrien, still as gentlemanly as he had been before, opened the door for her and allowed her inside. Marinette slipped in, realizing how much warmer the inside of the car was. The valet had likely turned on the heaters. Adrien got in a moment later, shifting the car out of park to drive down the dimly lit streets.

“So,” Marinette said, glancing over at him, “What now?”

Adrien’s eyes flicked to hers, the green orbs illuminated by the soft glow of the dashboard. “What do you mean?”

“What do we do about your father? And for that matter, Chloé.”

Adrien contemplated his answer, seeming to have not thought about their next move yet. “I’m not sure. I guess we just keep this up long enough for them to accept it?”

“Oh.” Marinette sighed quietly. Then, she realized something. “Wait, if they _do_ accept it, what then?”

“Look, that’s a long, _long_ ways off. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?” He offered her a reassuring smile, hoping to ease her worries.

“Okay,” she said, though Adrien could still see her troubled expression.

“Hey, why don’t we head to my place for a bit? I’ve got some video games I’m sure you’d love.”

Marinette’s face lit up in excitement. “Yeah! That sounds like fun.”

With a chuckle, Adrien turned the car onto a different street, heading towards his house. Marinette wondered what types of games Adrien would be interested in. He seemed like an RPG kind of guy, though he could be more of a strategy man. Or maybe, he was like her?

 

 

**. . .**

 

When they got out of the car, Adrien sighed into the cold autumn air. He could see his breath cloud up, illuminated by the streetlights overhead. He glanced at the girl on the other side of the vehicle. Marinette was more than he bargained for, that was for sure. He wished he could adequately express his gratitude for all that she did earlier.

_I’m not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t that. For her to stand up to Father like that… she’s something special. Especially considering she idolizes him._

When he noticed her walking around, he tried to suppress a laugh at her face. She was staring at his house, rather, his _mansion_ , in complete awe. He had to admit, it was an impressive building to most people. But growing up inside of it had tainted his memory, staining it with loneliness and the cold, unforgiving eyes of his father.

“This is your house?!” Marinette squealed, the sound echoing down the empty street.

“Yeah,” Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s incredible!” Marinette ran up to the gate, though she couldn’t find a lock anywhere. Adrien stepped beside her and pressed the intercom, holding the red button down until a voice rang out from the speaker.

“Agreste residence,” a feminine voice said, though her tone was stern.

“It’s me, Nathalie,” Adrien said into the microphone, “Can you open the gate?”

“Right away, Adrien.”

No more than five seconds later, the large metal gate creaked open. Adrien slipped back into the car and pulled forward onto the property, shutting the engine off after. Marinette waited for him to get out before heading up to the front door, Adrien trailing close behind. When he arrived next to her, a tall woman pulled the door open for them. She had dark hair and blue eyes, much like Marinette. However, her hair had a streak of red running through it. Marinette assumed this was Nathalie, the woman who answered the intercom.

“Welcome home, Adrien,” she greeted, though her eyebrows raised in surprise when she saw Marinette. “Your father would not approve of you bringing a girl home, especially this late.”

“Thanks for the concern Nathalie. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t give a damn if he approves or not.”

Nathalie closed her eyes and nodded, clearly used to this by now. She closed the door behind them, preventing the cold air from being let in. Adrien and Marinette continued up the stairs to Adrien’s room, the girl marveling at the gorgeous interior of the house all the while. When he opened the door to let her in, Marinette audibly gasped.

“You’re kidding,” she said, her mouth hanging open. His room was _huge._ A lounge area with a television, foosball table, and even a miniature basketball court were in the center of the room. Arcade machines, _a freaking climbing wall,_ and a triple-monitor computer were along the perimeter, as well as a spiral staircase that led to the second floor, where there were multiple bookshelves full of comics, DVDs, and video games.

“I was homeschooled when I was younger,” Adrien explained, “and as a result, I got really bored. My dad bought me all this to prevent me from rebelling, I suppose.”

“Is that a waterbed?!” Marinette shrieked, pointing at the suspicious lumpiness of his mattress. She jumped on, not bothering to take off her shoes. The bed completely engulfed the small girl in soft, liquidy pleasure.

Adrien chuckled. She was like a little kid at an amusement park. It was rather cute, how she was dwarfed by the sheer size of his bed. It was then that he realized just how tiny Marinette was, almost like a doll. He held a hand out for her as she tried to sit up, failing to escape the constantly moving bed. She tried to pull herself up, but the instability of the water combined with her own inexperience with these mattresses caused her to accidentally pull Adrien down with her.

He grunted as he landed, propping himself up on his elbows. “Come on, I brought you here to play games, not play with my bed.”

Marinette giggled. “Thought it was every guy’s dream to have a girl tangled in their sheets?”

 

**Blink.**

 

**Blink blink.**

 

_Holy shit, did I really just say that?!_

 

_Did she just..._

 

Both teens were silent as the reality of the situation sunk in; Adrien was nearly on top of Marinette in bed, both still holding hands. Marinette’s comment was meant as a joke, but both of them quickly realized what it would look like to an outsider. Blue eyes met green ones, and neither said anything for an ever-expanding stretch of time. Until, finally, Adrien cleared his throat and sat up straight.

“Well, you’re not wrong. But please, Marinette. I’m a gentleman.” He smirked at her, noticing the red tint of her cheeks.

“R-right,” she stuttered, gripping the edge of the bed to pull herself forward.

“Now, how about we get to the main event?” He announced, walking over to the computer.

“What do you have in mind?” Marinette asked, glad for the change of topic.

“I was thinking,” the blonde said, plucking the controllers from the desk, “ _Ultimate Mecha Strike III.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter makes up for my absence! 
> 
> Leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed! It really inspires me to keep writing. <3


	8. Game On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you ask for angst? No...? Too bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! My resolution: take more time to upload chapters. Will it fail like every other resolution I make? Probably.

 

“I was thinking _Ultimate Mecha Strike III.”_

 

Marinette’s face instantly grew bright at Adrien’s words. _“_ You’re kidding! _UMS_ is one of my favorite games!”

“I had a feeling,” he said, tossing a controller onto the bed next to her.

“What do you mean?”

He let out a low chuckle. “You just seem like you’re secretly competitive. Personally, I’m more of an RPG kind of guy but I do love a good fighting game every once in a while.”

Marinette’s cheeks tinted. He couldn’t be more right; She was incredibly competitive when it came to video games. She picked up the controller he gave her, waiting for him to turn on the computer. When he did, the buttons lit up in her hands.

“Do you want to play online or offline PvP?” Adrien asked as he opened the program. “We could even do Co-op, if you want.”

“Let’s just do offline. I don’t feel like beating random people into the ground right now.”

“Ah, just me? That makes me feel special.” The blonde smirked at her before realizing she had nowhere to sit by the screen. His bed was too far away, after all. “One second, let me just…”

Marinette watched as he dragged his couch around the room over to the desk, flipping it to face the computer. The feet made a terrible scraping noise, and she hoped he hadn’t scratched the expensive floorboards. She hoisted herself off of the waterbed, which took more effort than she initially thought. It was hard enough for her to get out of a _normal_ bed in the morning, how did Adrien manage to do it in this watery heaven every day?

The two plopped onto the couch next to each other as Marinette slipped her feet underneath her body. Adrien opened up the game menu, quickly selecting the options for an offline player-versus-player match. After Adrien selected his mech, NAD03, Marinette decided to not use her regular mech. Instead, she opted for IRON, a larger, sturdier robot that could take the most damage in the game. She didn’t know Adrien’s skill level, so she decided playing safe was the best way to go for now.

The screen changed as their mechs were dropped into the arena, flashing a countdown timer. When it reached zero, they both unleashed a flurry of attacks. Marinette wasn’t used to how slow IRON was, so Adrien managed to get a few hits in on her. As she blocked, she realized that he was likely going easy on her—intentionally leaving openings for her to strike. She’d be a fool not to take advantage of that, and quickly began countering his attacks with much more precision. She noticed his hands tense around the controller as he realized she wasn’t someone to underestimate.

His attacks changed, becoming quicker and leaving far less room for her to use. Marinette continued to block his assault, waiting for an opportunity. Finally, she saw her chance. She saw his grip on the controller slip ever so slightly, and Marinette lunged her mech towards him. He was caught off guard, expecting her to continue to play passively. Marinette powered through IRON’s combo, taking him out in one devastating sweep. The screen lit up, designating Marinette the victor of the match.

Adrien stared in shock at the computer, taking in the last few moments. “Marinette, what was that?!”

She made no effort to conceal her smirk. “Maybe you shouldn’t have gone easy on me in the beginning.”

“That’s the understatement of the century.” He returned her sly grin with one of his own, returning to the selection screen. “Alright, no more holding back.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Marinette said, changing to her primary mech, LB-03.

 

* * *

 

Several matches later, Adrien finally resigned. “Alright, you’re the queen of _UMS_. I concede.”

“Bow before me, peasant!” Marinette laughed, brandishing her controller. He made a few good plays here and there, but never managed to beat her.

“How did you get so good at it?” He asked, sitting up from his slumped position on the couch.

Marinette set the controller down, bringing her knees to her chest. “My dad and I played the first two games when I was younger, but I’m just particularly good at fighting against NAD03. I have a friend who almost exclusively plays him.”

“So, you cheated.” Adrien raised an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms.

“I didn’t cheat!” Marinette gasped in fake offense, “It’s not my fault you never thought to pick someone else.”

“Well, in your defense, I’m not great at anyone besides NAD03, so you would have beaten me regardless.”

“Practice makes perfect,” she said, winking at him.

He let out a low sigh. “You know, I have a friend that plays LB-03 a lot too. But she’s too good for me to ever win against her.”

“Hm,” Marinette hummed, “maybe you should introduce me to her sometime, we could see who the better LB03 is.”

“Now that”, he chuckled, “would be a sight to see.”

Marinette giggled again. When did she become this giddy? “Are you done playing for tonight?”

“Yeah, my hands hurt from holding the controller.” He rubbed his palm to emphasize this point.

“Do you need some of those painkillers?” Marinette asked, remembering when Kim had elbowed him in the nose earlier that week. Had it really only been a few days since then?

“Sure, thanks.” Adrien leaned back, continuing to massage his hand.

Marinette stood, walking over to where she left her purse. Suddenly, she felt a stinging pain in her right heel and winced as she crouched down. Adrien’s gaze flicked to her when he saw her lower herself in the middle of the room, concern rising.

“Hey,” he said, “You okay?”

“Y-yeah, my foot just hurts.” She stood and sat on the edge of his bed, the closest seat near her. Taking off her shoe, she realized she had an angry red blister on the back of her foot. How did she not notice it before? “Damn,” she said under her breath, “I didn’t have time to break these new shoes in.”

Adrien stood and crossed the room to her. “What’s wrong?” He asked, looking down at her foot. “Yikes. Want to put a band-aid on it?”

“Sure. Toss me my purse, I’ll grab those painkillers for you.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” he said, “the pain will pass. Wait here.” He turned and walked towards a door, but not the one they had come in through. Marinette could see the inside of a bathroom when he opened it—if you could call it that. She could tell that it was probably as big as her entire bedroom. As she stared at him from across the room, a quiet shuffling from under the bed brought her attention downward.

“Oh my god,” she said, “Adrien, is this your cat?”

The blonde poked his head out from the bathroom. “Yeah, his name is Plagg.”

Marinette squealed as the black feline jumped up next to her, allowing her to pet him. “He’s so cute!”

“Don’t be fooled, he’s a major asshole.” He finally found a box of band-aids under the sink and brought them back to the bed. He noticed the cat curling up on her lap and glared down at him. “Oh, sure. You’re nice around _her._ You only use me to get cheese.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “Cheese?”

“Yeah, he’s… a weird cat.” He didn’t explain further, instead pulling out two band-aids and tossing the box on the bed. He knelt down in front of Marinette, ripping one from its packaging.

“Wait,” she said, looking down at him dubiously, “What are you doing?”

“Putting a band-aid on your blister?” He said, as if it was obvious.

“B-but… Why?” Marinette stuttered, her face growing red.

Adrien shrugged. “I thought it would be gentlemanly, I guess.” He began standing up, only for Marinette to stop him.

“No, it’s fine.” He knelt back down, though he sent her a questioning glance. He took his time putting the bandage on, careful not to touch her blister. Marinette hid her face, not wanting him to see her embarrassment. When he touched her left ankle, she jumped in surprise.

“I don’t have a blister on that foot,” she said, pulling away slightly.

“Maybe not now, but you might have one later if you don’t put something there to protect it.” He lifted her shoe off, observing where he should position the band-aid. After he applied it, he stood and tossed the paper in the trash can by his desk.

Marinette slipped her shoes back on, feeling much less pain than before. “Thanks,” she said, looking up at him. Her face felt warm, and she knew he could see her flush. Abruptly, she felt a soft sensation tickle her back, and she jumped. “Ah! Plagg!” She grumbled, glaring at the cat who flicked his tail across her spine.

“What?” Adrien asked, looking between her and the cat.

“He tickled me with his tail,” she explained, rubbing behind her to numb the tingle.

“Are you ticklish?”

Marinette glanced at him, eyes growing wide. Whenever someone asked that question, it was almost always with the intent to tickle you. She was, of course, incredibly ticklish.

“No,” she lied. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have the urge to test her answer.

“Hmm… Alright then.” He sat next to her, and for a moment, she thought she was in the clear.

 

Of course, she was wrong.

 

Adrien’s hands latched themselves to her sides, running his fingers up and down in frantic motions. Marinette flailed, attempting to dislodge his hands from her waist. She shrieked with laughter, gripping his wrists. However, he was much stronger than she was and tickled her with even more intensity. Plagg jumped away, wanting no part in the teens’ shenanigans. The waterbed rippled as Adrien continued his assault. Suddenly, an idea lit up in Marinette’s head.

Releasing his hands, she struck his abdomen with a torrent of her own tickling. Adrien yelped, a sound Marinette had never heard from him before, and desperately attempted to pull her hands away. When she persisted, he grabbed her wrists as she had done to him, and yanked them above her head, pinning them to the bed. The two were panting, both letting out breathy giggles. Adrien’s eyes met hers, and he held her gaze for a curiously long amount of time.

“Marinette,” he gasped, still out of breath, “Can I kiss you?”

Her eyes widened in shock.  _Did I hear that right?_

Marinette remained silent, staring up at him with her mouth slightly parted. When it became apparent that she had, in fact, heard him correctly, she realized she had yet to answer him. As the seconds ticked on, Adrien grew visibly nervous. Just as she felt him pulling away, she spoke in a hushed tone.

“Yes.”

Adrien flicked his eyes down to her, taking in her answer. _She’s waiting,_ he realized, pulling himself back over her. As softly as he could, he lowered his body to hers, not breaking eye contact. It seemed as though time was standing still.

Their lips grew closer, and Marinette could feel his hot breath intertwine with hers. She’d never seen his eyes so close, and she noticed that within them there were tiny flecks of gold. They really were quite beautiful.

Adrien brushed their lips together, the touch as light as a feather. When he didn’t feel her flinch away, he pressed even closer. The kiss was gentle, with Adrien reaching up to cup her warm cheek.

Marinette closed her eyes, relishing the sweet taste of his lips. _Oh my god,_ her internal voice screamed, _is this really happening?_ She reached up to brush her fingers through his hair, wanting to feel him even more. Adrien responded, filling the kiss with slightly more intensity. She felt him pull her lip gently, tugging it between his teeth. An unexpected feeling, but definitely not unwelcome.

As the minutes passed, she pushed herself closer to him, encouraging him to continue. He did as she wished, prodding at her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. She allowed him entrance, and the two deepened the kiss even further. She felt his other hand brush her thigh, and she lifted it, enjoying the sensation. He rubbed it, slowly inching towards her waist.

Marinette loved this. She had no idea how much she had wanted this before now. All those sweet comments, all the laughs and goofy grins, his dorky habits that he wanted to keep hidden from everyone, she adored them all. Suddenly, she realized.

 

She really, _really_ liked this boy.

 

However, just as she grasped this revelation, Adrien jumped back. He distanced himself from her, standing up from the bed to turn away. Marinette’s eyes snapped open, still panting from the passion the two had just shared.

“Adrien, what’s wrong?” She sat up on the bed, worry masking her features.

“I-I just…” He began, running his hand through his hair. “This is all wrong. I’m so sorry.”

Marinette’s heart dropped into her stomach. “What do you mean? Did I do something—”

“No!” He exclaimed, cutting off her thought. “No,” he repeated, quieter, “It’s me…”

“Adrien, I don’t understand…” Marinette could feel her heart splitting in two with every word.

He sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed again. “I… there’s someone else.”

 

**.**

**.**

**.**

 

_Someone else._

 

Of course, just as she realized she liked him, he had to drop that bomb on her. No, _as they were kissing._ Marinette felt wetness in her eyes, but made no move to stop the tears that fell, only letting out a small sniffle. Adrien turned to her, guilt showing through his usually hard mask. He began to reach out to her, but snapped his hand back, grimacing.

He didn’t deserve to touch her after what he just did. He played with her feelings, albeit not intentionally. She reminded him so much of Ladybug, he thought, maybe for a minute, he could pretend she was.

“Marinette,” he whispered, bringing his head to his knees. “I’m so, _so_ sorry.” Pain and a hint of fear shone through his voice. _“God,_ I’m such a fucking asshole.”

Marinette wiped her tears, standing up from the bed. “Just take me home.”

Adrien stared up at her but didn’t object. He sighed and grabbed his keys from the bedside table and watched her gather her things. She left the house ahead of him, waiting for him to unlock the door to the car.

The ride to Marinette’s house was silent, save for the rumbling of the engine. Adrien considered speaking several times—there was so much he wanted to say—but he decided that it was best to stay quiet. He was probably the last person she wanted to talk to right now. He pretended not to notice her tears.

Adrien pulled up next to the curb, right in front of the bakery. It was well past eleven, her parents were probably worried. Marinette sighed and opened the door, grabbing her purse to pull out her house key.

“Marinette,” Adrien called as she stood up.

“What?” She asked, her voice sounding weaker than she wanted it to.

“I…” he faltered. What did he want to say?

“Spit it out already,” she snapped at him. She would never be this rude under normal circumstances, but in this case, it was justified.

“See you on Monday?” It wasn't really a question, more of a confirmation.

Marinette hesitated. “Just text me when you need me to _pretend_ to be your girlfriend again.” With that, she shut the car door behind her. Adrien watched as she walked up to the front of the bakery, unlocking the door and disappearing inside.

He slammed his head on the steering wheel, blonde locks falling around his face. What the hell was he thinking? He had suspicions that she liked him, why on Earth did he decide to fuck over her emotions like that? It wasn’t that he didn’t feel anything for her, but… she wasn’t Ladybug.

 

In that moment, he despised himself more than anything.

 

* * *

 

 

Marinette pulled her phone from her bag and tossed the small purse to the ground. Her parents were already asleep, having to wake up early to open shop. She climbed up to her loft and fell on the bed, stripping her dress on the way. She could sleep in her underwear for tonight; she didn’t care. She plugged her phone in and scrolled through some of her social media, attempting to distract herself from any thoughts of Adrien. However, an advertisement for his father’s fashion brand appeared, causing that plan to fail almost immediately. She let the tears trail down her cheeks again, allowing a sob to escape her mouth.

 

Monday couldn’t come slow enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGH I HATE HURTING MY BABIES LIKE THIS. But it's for the greater good, I promise. <3
> 
> Leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed!!


	9. Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did I say I hate hurting my babies? Whoops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW I'm actually updating in a semi-reasonable manner now. Who would've guessed that was possible.

 

As much as someone might wish for time to stop, it bends to the will of no one.

 

Monday came, much to Marinette’s dismay. Rolling over, she silenced her blaring alarm. Not that she needed it, having been awake for hours. She had hardly slept for two nights, her mind constantly running rampant with thoughts of Adrien. His touch, his taste, his heat. Everything. It tortured her.

Marinette wasn’t stupid; she knew he was in the wrong. She had done nothing to deserve that. She contemplated going to Chat Noir for advice, but she doubted he wanted to hear about how she had kissed someone else. Especially since he had essentially confessed to her only a few days ago. Telling him would only add salt to the wound. 

Okay, maybe Marinette  _was_ in the wrong. Chat hadn’t even been given a proper answer and she was already engaging in a steamy make-out session with another person. It wasn’t as if she never thought about having feelings for Chat, either. In fact, had they met in person instead of online, the probability was pretty high. He was sweet, kind, caring, everything most girls want in a guy. _Even a bit funny,_ she admitted to herself, although she'd never let him know that. But she couldn't let herself fall for him. There were too many problems with that scenario. What if he didn’t live near Paris? What if he didn’t like who she really was? _What if he wasn’t who **he said he was?**_

Okay, she highly doubted the last one, but still, the possibility was always present.

 

As much as Marinette wanted to lay in bed for eternity, she knew that her moping couldn’t get in the way of school. With a groan, she shrugged out of her blankets and went to get dressed. She stubbed her toe on the way down from her loft, stifling a curse as she hobbled down the rest of the way. Hopefully, her lack of sleep wouldn’t interfere with her ability to function too much.

Once she had changed, she heard her father call her from the kitchen, announcing that breakfast was ready. She grabbed her backpack, combing out a few knots in her hair with her fingers as she descended the stairs.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Tom said sarcastically, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

“Morning,” Marinette grumbled, serving herself a slice of the quiche he had prepared for her. They both sat down at the table, and Marinette saw that her mother was absent. _Oh, yeah,_ she remembered, _Mondays are Maman’s day to open the bakery._

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Tom began, slicing into his quiche with the side of his fork, “But you look horrendous.”

Marinette sighed. “Yeah, I’ve been having insomnia recently.” She shoved some egg into her mouth, swallowing quickly.

He looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “Really? That’s unlike you. Normally we can hardly get you to wake up.”

“I’ll try to go to sleep earlier from now on.”

The large man nodded, accepting that answer. “How did the party on Saturday go?” He asked, “Your mother and I had to sleep early, and you were holed up in your room all day yesterday.”

Marinette nearly choked, caught off guard. “F-fine,” she said, wiping her mouth, “there were a lot of people there though, so it was kind of stressful.” He nodded again. He was a friendly man, but even he got stressed around too many people.

After eating the last few bites of her quiche, Marinette stood and left her plate in the sink, heading towards the door. It was a bit early for school, but she didn’t want to get sucked back into a conversation about Saturday.

“Thanks for breakfast, _Papa,”_ Marinette called over her shoulder.

“You’re welcome, have a good day at school!”

 

* * *

 

Marinette trudged her way up the steps, wrapping her arms around herself. It was getting colder as November drew nearer. She should have gone back home for a jacket, but she only needed to make it inside. It should warm up by noon. Gripping one of her backpack straps in her hand, she made her way to the classroom, keeping her head down. There weren’t many people here this early, but she didn’t want to risk anyone talking to her. She was in absolutely _no_ mood to engage in conversation.

She poked her head inside, looking around for anyone else. Well, one person in particular. Luckily, it seemed like the classroom was empty. Marinette made her way to her desk and glanced at the clock—almost forty minutes until class started. Sighing contently, she slumped into her seat. She was rarely this early for school, yet she had been twice in one week. Plenty of time to take a quick nap, if she could manage to fall asleep.

She set her backpack on the desk, using it as a makeshift pillow. Plopping her head on top of it, she snuggled closer, attempting to warm her face up. _I guess the teachers didn’t turn the heaters on in here yet,_ she thought as she suppressed a small shiver. Oh well, it wasn’t too bad. Remarkably, she felt her consciousness slipping, allowing her to fall into a well-deserved sleep.

 **.** **.** **.**

Adrien showed up rather early as well, despite the fact that school was the _last_ place he wanted to be. However, he always showed up early to get as far away as possible from his house. He glanced around the entrance for Nino, where he, Alix, and Kim usually loitered before class. Unfortunately, it seemed only a small handful of students were here at this time, most chatting or absorbing themselves in their phones. Adrien had no interest taking part in either activity and headed to class instead. He expected the room to be empty, like the rest of the campus, when he arrived. However, there was one solitary head of jet black hair laid on the desk behind his own.

_Marinette._

He sucked in a breath. There was no turning back now. He walked up to his seat, doing his best not to look in her direction. When she didn’t move, he realized that she was sleeping. With a relieved sigh, he glanced at her face. There were dark rings around her eyes, clearly displaying a lack of sleep. He could have sworn they were slightly red, too.

 _That’s because of me,_ he thought, wishing he could beat himself bloody. He would give anything to take back that moment. As he gazed at her, his eyes traveled to her hands. He noticed that her fingertips were shaking. He looked closer, curiosity drawing him in. _She’s shivering,_ he realized, and immediately stripped his jacket without a second thought.

As gingerly as possible, he draped the leather over her shoulders. She stirred slightly, almost giving him a heart attack, but didn’t wake. He released his breath as he sat down, pulling out a textbook to do some homework he didn’t finish.

 

This was going to be a long day.

 

* * *

 

The bell rang loudly, causing Marinette to wake up abruptly. She glanced around, observing her surroundings in a bleary haze. Sitting up straight, she stretched her arms over her head. As she did, she felt something fall away from her shoulders, tumbling down behind her back. Whipping her head around, she realized the fabric was Adrien’s leather jacket.

 _What the—?_ Marinette questioned internally, _Did Adrien put this on me while I was sleeping?_ She looked up from her desk at the back of his head, and her heart dropped. She hadn’t noticed him sitting there before. His presence made her more nervous than she thought it would, causing a pit to form in her stomach.

As she turned to grab his coat, she saw that Alya was sitting next to her, messaging someone on her phone. When she noticed Marinette was awake, she turned to her and smirked.

“Morning, sleepyhead. How was your—” Alya cut herself off when she saw her friend’s exhausted face. “Oh my god, Mari! You look terrible!”

Marinette grumbled. “So I’ve heard.”

“What happened? It looks like you have two black eyes!”

She rubbed her palms into her face, attempting to wake herself up. “I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”  
Alya raised an eyebrow at her, then glanced down at Adrien. It seemed like he was doing last Friday’s homework, but he hadn’t turned the page in several minutes. He looked like he was in a daze of his own, green eyes appearing dull and glassy. With a suspicious hum, she retrieved her phone again, opening her and Marinette’s text log.

  


Monday - 7:58 AM 

 

 **_Alya Césaire:_ ** _Hey, did something happen between you and pretty boy?_

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _Not really._

 

 **_Alya Césaire:_ ** _Girl, I can tell when something is up, and something is_ **_definitely_ ** _up. You know I’m here to listen if you want to vent, right?_

 

 **_Marinette Dupain-Cheng:_ ** _Mmm.. okay, yeah. Something happened, but it’s too much to talk about right now. Wanna come over to my place after school?_

 

 **_Alya Césaire:_ ** _Sounds good!_

Both girls put their phone away in unison as the second bell rang, signaling the start of class. Several students who had been outside the classroom trickled in slowly, sitting down at the desks. Marinette contemplated telling Alya _everything,_ including the fact that she and Adrien weren’t truly dating. She couldn’t go to Chat for help, but it should be fine to tell her, right? She was pulled out of her thoughts abruptly when a loud bang rang out from in front of her.

Adrien jerked his head up and shut his book, shoving it back into his bag. Marinette watched him attentively, his jacket in her lap. How in the world would she approach the awkward tension of this situation? Memories of that night flooded back, bringing heat to her face.

 _Hi, here’s your jacket back. Oh, don’t worry about the whole kissing then rejecting me thing. I’m tooootally over it._ She scrunched up her eyes, pushing her inner sarcasm away. She was obviously still affected by it, the last thing she wanted was to start an argument with him because she couldn’t keep her attitude in check, even if he _really_ deserved all she could throw at him.

Gently, she tapped Adrien’s shoulder. He turned around quickly, making eye contact with her. He looked surprised, shocked even, that she was interacting with him. Honestly, Marinette couldn’t blame him. She wanted nothing more than to ignore him for as long as possible.

“Y-your jacket,” she said quietly, holding out the garment. She broke their connected gaze, looking down at her desk.

“Oh, right.” He sounded slightly disappointed but reached out for it anyway. However, his hand stopped in mid-air. Marinette looked up when she didn’t feel him grab the coat. His brows were scrunched together in concern when he glanced down at her backpack. “Marinette, you didn’t bring anything, did you?”

“Huh?” Her heart picked up when he said her name, but she sent him a questioning look. “What do you mean?”

“A jacket.”

Marinette set it on the desk, growing tired of holding her arm out. “Uhmm… No, I forgot to grab it on my way out this morning.”

“Hmm…” Adrien pressed his lips together, forming a tight line. He pushed the pile of leather towards her again, turning back towards the front of the room. “Keep it, you can give it back tomorrow.”

“B-but—” Just as she was about to protest, Marinette was interrupted by Ms. Bustier’s arrival, silencing her. She sighed and leaned back into her seat, tucking the jacket into her backpack.

 

No one said she _had_ to wear it.

 

* * *

 

Classes couldn’t have gone slower. Most of the day was spent avoiding Adrien, but to Marinette’s delight, she eventually heard the final bell of the day ring. She sat on the school’s steps, waiting for Alya to finish her last class. Unzipping her bag, she pulled her sketchbook out. She figured that while she waited, doing some doodles might make the time pass faster. After a few minutes, she heard someone walk up behind her.

“Marinette.”

She didn’t bother turning around, recognizing the voice immediately. “What do you want, Adrien?”

The blonde looked to the side, noticing the sting in her voice. “You aren’t wearing my jacket.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, turning to her backpack once again. “Here.” She stood and pulled out the black bundle, shoving it into his hands before he could stop her.

“No, I want you to put it on,” he argued, attempting to hand it back to her.

“Well, I don’t _want_ to put it on,” she countered, pushing it away.

“Stop being stubborn, your fingertips are turning purple.” Marinette look down at her hands. Sure enough, the temperature was evident from their pigmentation. The weather hadn’t warmed up like she had predicted, staying nearly the same all day. “Take it,” he insisted, but Marinette’s mental wall finally cracked.

“Just leave me alone!” Her voice came out much louder than she intended, gaining the attention of nearby students. They turned to look at the commotion, but almost all of them spun back around when they realized Adrien was involved. Marinette’s cheeks flushed, and she looked down in defeat. “Please,” she whispered.

Adrien was startled by her sudden outburst, but his heart crumbled when he heard her faint plea. As much as he wanted to do as she demanded, he couldn’t leave her here in the cold. He took the jacket, and for a moment Marinette thought she had succeeded.

In one fluid motion, he brought the jacket around her shoulders, draping it like a blanket. It was large enough on her to be one, anyway. Before she could shrug it off, he zipped the front, securing her inside. Grumbling, Marinette slipped her arms into the sleeves in an attempt to remove it.

As soon as her fingers grasped the zipper, Adrien wrapped his hands around hers and pulled them away. “Just stop, I’m not going to take it until you bring one of your own.”

With a sigh, Marinette dropped her arms to her sides and looked anywhere but at him. “Fine, you win. Just...please go.”

However, Adrien didn’t move. Instead, he gently brushed their fingers together, bringing her attention back to him. “Mari, I need to explain what happened.”

“N-no,” she stuttered. The resurfacing of those passionate moments brought a sting to her eyes, and she looked down at his chest so her hair would cover the tears welling up behind them. She shook her head weakly, stepping back. “I can’t do this right now, please. I need time.”

He stared at her quietly, his heart visibly breaking again at her tearful voice. Marinette saw his hands clench into tight fists, his knuckles going white. “Alright. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” With one final look, he turned and walked down the steps to where Nino, Alix, and Kim were waiting for him. Marinette watched him go, the group walking down the street towards the nearby park.

She let out a long sigh, dropping back down to the ground. Her eyes prickled as they dried, none of the tears being allowed to fall. She packed up her sketchbook, zipping up her backpack to sling it over her shoulder. Her urge to draw was completely gone after her encounter with Adrien. After another few minutes of waiting, Alya finally arrived.

“Sorry!” She called, pulling her jacket on as she ran, “My last period was P.E. I figured a shower would be a good idea before heading to your place.”

Marinette waved at her as she approached, noticing her damp hair. “You know, you could’ve showered when we got there.”

“I didn’t want to impose on you guys, though.”

“Nah,” Marinette chuckled, “It’s fine.”

“Well, alright.” Alya began walking down the steps, angling herself towards the bakery. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

Marinette followed her down, leading the way to her home. Although, you’d have to be pretty directionally inept to get lost to her house. It was right across the street. Since the walk was short, they arrived at the door after only a minute. The wave of scents hit them as they entered, causing Alya to sniff the air.

“Man, it smells good in here!” She exclaimed, drawing the attention of her mother at the register.

“Welcome home, honey!” Sabine waved her and Alya over as she finished up a customer. She noticed Alya, smiling at her. “Who’s your friend?”

Marinette walked behind the counter to the display, where a large plate of chocolate chip cookies sat. “This is Alya, we’re in the same class.” She put some cookies on a smaller plate, intending to take them to her room.

“Oh, so you’re Alya!” Sabine said, holding her hand out for Alya to shake, “Marinette has told me about you!” This was the first time Marinette had brought anyone home besides Adrien, so she didn’t blame her mom for being excited.

“It’s nice to meet you, Madame.” Alya took Marinette’s mother’s hand, smiling brightly.

“Oh, no need for that,” she scoffed, “Just call me Sabine!”

Alya giggled. “Alright then, Sabine.”

Marinette came around the corner, precariously balancing two glasses of milk and the plate of cookies. “We’re going to study for our test tomorrow, so we’ll be up in my room.” Alya took the cookies from her, knowing how clumsy her friend could be.

“Alright, don’t overwork yourselves!” Sabine called up the stairs after them, returning to her work in the bakery.

Marinette led Alya upstairs to her bedroom, setting the milk on her desk. Alya followed suit, placing the plate next to the glasses. They pulled Marinette’s white chaise over to the desk, giving them a place to sit while they ate.

“Alright,” Alya said, “I’m not going to beat around the bush. What happened between you and Adrien? I swear, if that bastard hurt you, I’m going to make sure he’ll never be able to procreate again.”

Marinette looked up at her from her cookie, realizing it was one of the few times she didn’t hear Alya call him by a nickname. She sighed, chewing the last few bites before washing it down with milk.

 

“Well,” she replied softly, “I guess I’ll start from the beginning.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I firmly believe that if Alya were to fight Adrien she would come out on top. 
> 
> Leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed! :D


	10. Advantageous Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who wants more Alya and Chat interactions? :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there's a couple minor things I changed:  
> Chloe's un-suspension day used to be Monday, changed it to Wednesday.  
> The test (that was mentioned in the previous chapter) was going to be Wednesday, changed to Tuesday.

 

“I hope this boy knows how to fight because I’m gonna kill him.”

 

Marinette had finally finished telling Alya _everything_ that happened over the last few weeks. The two girls had long since finished their cookies, and now Alya was clutching her milk glass in anger.

“Alya, listen—” Marinette started.

“No!” Aly interrupted with a shout. “I thought that maybe he wasn’t so bad after he helped you with Chloé, but kissing you like that? That’s just… Argh!” She slammed the glass on the desk, sloshing the liquid inside and nearly causing it to spill over.

Marinette sighed, leaning back on the chaise. “I know. It was a pretty horrible thing to do. But I can’t avoid him forever… At some point, I’m going to have to talk to him again.”

Alya’s glare softened as she contemplated Marinette’s words. “As much as I hate to admit it, you’re right. I wish you didn’t have to, but you roped yourself into this situation with his dad.”

“I know. I wish I could just drop him completely, but we have an arrangement. Plus, every time Chloé has seen us together, she’s been easier to handle. Which is a miracle, honestly. She’s probably afraid to upset him. And I owe him for that, at least.”

“I’m sure he’d understand if you asked to back out, though.”

Marinette sighed. “Yeah, I don’t doubt that. But… I wouldn’t feel right. I made the deal and I intend to keep my end of it.”

Alya shook her head and rested her chin in her palm. “Girl, you’re too good for him.”

“Thanks,” Marinette giggled.

“So,” she paused, taking a sip of her milk, “let me ask you this: Do you still have feelings for Adrien?”

Marinette blinked in surprise. “I… I haven’t really thought about it. By all accounts, I shouldn’t.”

“I agree.” Alya crossed her arms.

“That being said, I don’t think he meant to hurt me like that. Sure, what he did was all kinds of messed up. But… I can tell he really regrets it.”

“Okay, so what do you want to do about it?” Alya inquired, furrowing her brow.

“I think the best course of action is to tell him how I feel about it. But after that… I’m not sure.”

Alya leaned back on the chaise, setting her glass down once more. “I mean, that’s a good start. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support your choice.”

Marinette smiled. “Thanks, Alya. And for what it’s worth, if he does something like this again, you have my full permission to beat him to a bloody pulp.”

Alya jumped up, raising her fists in the air. “Hell yeah!”

The two laughed, filling the room with a bright sound. However, their exuberance was interrupted by Alya’s phone ringing. The taller girl whipped it out of her pocket, glancing at the screen quickly before answering.

“Hi, Mom!” She spoke into the receiver, “I’m at a friend’s house, why?” Marinette barely heard the warbled words of the woman on the other end who must have been Alya’s mother. “Shoot, really? Yeah, okay. I’ll be there soon. Uh-huh. See you then.” With a tap, Alya hung up the phone. “I’m really sorry, my mom got called in to work at the hotel. She needs me to babysit the twins tonight.”

“No worries,” Marinette said as Alya gathered her bag. “Do you think you’ll be okay heading home on your own?” She glanced out the window. It was getting a bit dark out already, but that was normal this time of year.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I can just take the subway.” She slipped her phone into her pocket and downed the rest of the milk. “And, for the record, I want you to know that you can come to me with anything, right? I know we’ve only known each other for a few months, but I consider you one of my closest friends, alright?”

Marinette stood quickly, causing her pigtails to bounce. She wrapped her arms around Alya’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug. It had been a long time since she had someone she could rely on like this. “Thank you so much,” Marinette said quietly. Alya responded by tightening the embrace.

The two separated moments later to reveal Alya’s bright smile.”Of course, girl! I’m here for you no matter what.”

Marinette smiled back. “You’d better hurry, you don’t want to make your mom late.”

“Ah, crap!” Alya exclaimed, momentarily forgetting her reason to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school, okay? Make sure to get a good, long sleep tonight!” She headed towards the trap door that led to the rest of the house, opening it quickly.

“Yeah, yeah. Get home safe!” Marinette waved to her and she returned the gesture. The door closed with a click, leaving Marinette alone in silence once again.

The girl smiled to herself and glanced toward the chaise. With a sigh, she pushed it back to its usual spot near her wall and returned to her desk. She pushed the empty milk glasses aside, making a mental note to wash them later. The girl grabbed her headset, setting it on top of her soft raven hair.

She turned her computer on, and with a few clicks of her mouse, the familiar cat icon appeared on her screen.

 

* * *

 

“Damn it, Ladybug!” The masculine voice rang through her headphones, “You’re too good at this.”

Marinette laughed, but she could hear the tinge of genuine frustration in Chat Noir’s voice at losing yet another match to her. “I mean, that’s not new information,” she boasted.

“I guess. Do you want to play co-op?”

“I thought you didn’t like co-op?”

“Yeah, but it beats losing every match.” The squeaking of his chair echoed and Marinette wondered if he was leaning back in deflation.

“Are you okay, Chat? You seem to be on edge.” She was getting worried, wondering if she was the source of his irritation.

“Huh?” He said, sounding startled. “Uh, I mean… I guess I am.”

The girl cringed, feeling guilty. “Oh… I’m sorry.”

“What? No! Not because of you, LB.” He sighed, and Marinette could hear him rub his hands together. “I just… I fucked up. I’m frustrated with myself.”

“Huh? What for? You played that really well, actually.”

“No no, it doesn’t have to do with the game,” he clarified, “I… Hurt someone important to me.”

“What did you do?” She inquired, leaning forward.

“I… Uh…” he paused, “You have to promise not to judge me, okay?”

Marinette hesitated, but ultimately agreed. “Alright, I promise.”

“I… pretended she was you.”

Marinette blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering quickly. “You… what?”

“I kissed her, but I was pretending it was you while I did.” She heard the apprehension in his voice. He knew how strange that sounded, but he was being one hundred percent honest.

“Uhm…”

“You promised not to judge!” He defended.

“I’m not! I just… don’t know how to respond to that.” She leaned back, taking in his words. “I’m in a similar situation, actually.”

“You are?” Chat sounded surprised.

“Sort of. I kissed this guy and he told me he liked someone else.”

“Oof… Rejected, huh?”

“You could say that,” she said, glancing down at the controller in her hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to turn the conversation onto my problems.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m here to listen if you need an ear.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Kitty. But enough about me, what’s going on with you?”

He sighed, and Marinette heard his chair creak again. “I have no idea. I tried to approach her and apologize, but she didn’t want to be around me. I don’t blame her, I was a complete dick.”

“That must be rough. Do you think she’ll want to talk to you again?”

“I don’t know… I hope so, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t.” The squeak of the chair again, and then Marinette heard the tapping of his shoes. _Was he pacing?_

She glanced down again, realizing she was still wearing Adrien’s jacket from earlier and had completely forgotten about it. She thought quietly for a few moments, taking her earlier interaction with Adrien into account. “Look, I don’t know this girl or what she’s like,” Marinette began, “But I know that most people don’t like leaving problems unresolved. There’s a good chance that what she needs right now is just some space to sort out herself out.”

Chat was silent for a moment, but Marinette still heard his footsteps. When he spoke, the distress in his voice was apparent. “I just… I’m worried about her. She didn’t look good today. She clearly didn’t sleep enough, and I don’t know how to help her when she wants me to stay the hell away.”

Marinette was reminded of her own lack of sleep and suppressed a yawn. “I’m not sure… You’ll just have to keep an eye on her. Respect what she wants, but if it looks like it’s becoming damaging to her health, you should probably step in.”

His pacing stopped as he contemplated her advice. “Yeah, you’re probably right. There’s not much I can do right now.”

“Don’t sweat too much about it right now, _Chaton._ You can really only wait until she’s ready.”

“Yeah… Thanks, Ladybug. I have no idea how to handle a situation like this.”

Marinette giggled. “I don’t either. But there’s no point in stressing about what to do. You have to just wait and see how it plays out.”

“Well, regardless, you’re great at giving advice.” He sat back down in his chair, rolling it closer to the desk. “So, what’s the deal with this guy that _you_ kissed?”

“Uh… Well I–He…” Marinette sputtered, caught off guard. She didn’t expect him to bring it up again. “It’s complicated.”

“I vented to you, so now I’m here if you need me. But if you don’t want to, that’s fine!” He clarified.

Marinette was quiet, weighing her options. _Chat still has feelings for me… would it be fair to go to him with this? I mean, he did kiss another girl so… Hopefully, he won’t be hurt by it._

She sighed, setting her controller on the desk. “Well, remember that guy I went on that date with a few days ago?”

“It was him?” Chat asked, sounding surprised. “I’ll kick his ass.”

“Down, Kitty,” Marinette giggled. “But yes, it was him.”

“Sorry. What happened?”

“Well…” She began, “I was at his place, and we were just hanging out, having fun. One thing led to another and he asked me if he could kiss me.”

“But?” Chat asked, leaning forward in his chair.

“But… As quickly as it started, he ended it, and told me he liked someone else.”

 

* * *

 

Adrien was shocked, to say the least. What Ladybug was telling him was almost identical to what happened with Marinette. To be fair, there wasn’t much for him to connect the two, but the few details he’d heard were strikingly comparable.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you were in a similar situation,” he said, running his hand over his jaw.

“Huh?” Her voice was crystal clear through his expensive headset. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I had to be honest and tell her that there was someone else I had feelings for,” Adrien explained, “it wouldn’t be fair to keep her in the dark.”

“Do you like her?” Ladybug asked, catching him off guard.

“I mean… I’m sure there’s something there. I wouldn’t have kissed her if there wasn’t. But I’m not sure if I can get over my feelings for you. Plus, I hardly deserve to look at her after what I did.”

Ladybug hummed. “I see… Chat, I feel like I should be honest with you, too. I… I don’t think I feel the same way about you.”

Adrien sighed, though he felt pain in his chest. He’d had a feeling that she didn’t want to pursue that type of relationship with him, but it hurt more to have his suspicions confirmed. “Yeah, I know. And I’ll respect that. I’m here for you as your friend before anything else.”

“Thanks.” Adrien could almost hear her soft smile in her voice.

“Now,” he continued, attempting to change the topic slightly, “Clearly you liked this guy if you kissed him. Do you still have feelings for him?”

“Ugh,” she groaned, “unfortunately, yes.”

“Why do you sound so against it?”

Ladybug exhaled loudly. “Because I don’t want to. I wish I could hate him after what he did, but I can’t.”

“Why not?” Adrien’s curiosity was piqued.

“I… I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because of what he’s done for me.”

“Do you feel like you owe him for something?”

Ladybug chuckled. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it.”

Adrien rested his elbows on his desk. “Well, how do you think this should be handled then?”

Her sigh made the microphone pop. “I don’t know. I was talking to a friend of mine earlier, and I came to the conclusion that I will tell him how this affected me, but I’m at a loss for what to do after that.”

“No one says you have to do anything.”

“I know, but I want to. I mean, I’ve made mistakes in the past. Nothing like this of course, but everyone has done something they regret, right?”

Adrien fiddled with the buttons of his controller, thinking about Marinette. “You can say that again.”

“Everyone has done something—”

“I didn’t mean literally, LB,” he said, rolling his eyes.

She giggled, and Adrien chuckled back. “Sorry, you should clarify next time.”

“Will do.”

“Anyways, what would you do in my position?”

He leaned back again, tapping his fingers on the desk. “Well, you said that everyone makes mistakes, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Doesn’t that mean that deep down, you want to forgive him?”

“I… I guess.”

“So, why not work up to that? I’m sure things won’t be the same right away, but maybe you two can work together over time to repair it.”

Ladybug was quiet, probably thinking about what he said. “That… doesn’t sound too bad. But I don’t want to forget what happened, I just don’t want it hanging over us forever either.”

“You don’t have to forget. Forgiveness doesn’t have to mean forgetting or ignoring something, it’s accepting what happened and learning from it.”

“I see.” Her tone suddenly perked up. “And in the meantime, you’ll work to fix your relationship with that girl?”

Adrien chuckled. “I’ll do my best, you have my word.”

“Good.” He heard beeping coming from her end, likely from an alarm on her phone. “Oh shoot,” she said, “I have to go to bed soon. I have a test tomorrow in class, and I hardly slept the last few days.”

Adrien was slightly dejected that she had to leave, but he understood why. He had a test tomorrow, as well. “Yeah, me too. I’m gonna shower and hit the hay.”

“But I thought cats didn’t like water?”

Adrien smirked, though she couldn’t see it. “Contrary to popular belief, there are some cat breeds and species that love water.”

Ladybug giggled. “Are you one of those?”

“You’ll have to join me and find out.”

“Ugh,” she groaned, “you’re ridiculous.”

“Oh, how you wound me, My Lady.”

She laughed again. “Good night, Tomcat.”

Adrien smiled to himself, leaning his head into his palm. “Sleep well, Bugaboo.”

 

* * *

 

Marinette slipped her shirt on over her head, pulling her silky hair out from underneath. She shoved her notebooks into her backpack, hoping to cram in a few more minutes of studying before the test today. She snuck a peek at her clock—still ten more minutes before she had to leave for class. She woke up a little earlier than normal today, though she got more sleep than the night before. It seemed she was finally grasping the ability to wake up on time.

She headed downstairs, looking for something to eat before school. Her parents were pretty swamped in the bakery this morning, so Marinette opted for some cereal. She sat down at the counter and poured herself a bowl, milk following soon after. As she ate, she flicked through her phone, looking for something to keep her mind busy. She found her text threads and stopped when her thumb hovered over the name of a certain blonde.

After her talks with Chat Noir and Alya, she felt a lot more confident about approaching Adrien. It wasn’t as painful to think about anymore, thanks to them. Getting advice from outside sources really helped her organize her thoughts and feelings, making it easier for her to cope.

It was best for both of them to move on from this, and giving herself some time away from him certainly helped. She didn’t like having to push him away, or anyone for that matter. Especially when he probably just wanted a chance to apologize. He really wasn’t as bad as everyone made him out to be.

Marinette set her phone down, deciding it was better to talk to him about this in person. She ate the last few bites of her cereal and placed the bowl in the sink, washing it thoroughly before leaving in the dish rack to dry. When she headed back upstairs to her room, she noticed Adrien’s leather jacket on her chaise. She took it and folded it carefully, placing it in the backpack next to her books. She went to her closet and pulled out one of her own—her favorite black peacoat. At the last second, she grabbed a light pink scarf as well, tucking it around her neck. It was only a few days from November, and the days were getting colder by the minute.

With one last glance around her room to make sure she didn’t forget anything, Marinette set off towards the school.

 

 **.** **.** **.**

 

The girl ascended the stairs, keeping her nose tucked into the fabric around her neck. It was a good idea to bring it after all, as it was quite windy today. The chilly air bit at her skin, causing her to shiver. She rubbed her hands together and tucked them under her coat, attempting to heat them up as much as she could. She passed Juleka and Rose as she entered the school, giving them a small wave when they noticed her.

Once she reached the classroom, she sighed in relief. It was much warmer than outside, allowing to pull her hands out. Most of her classmates were already there, some of them taking off their jackets as their temperature rose to that of the school’s. At at the front sat Adrien, who was staring absentmindedly at the wall across from him.

Marinette’s heart began to pick up its pace. Though she felt more confident before, that all seemed to melt away when she saw him. He noticed her immediately, looking up from the hole he was burning in the wall to her blue eyes. She averted her gaze, though it was more out of embarrassment than discomfort. Adrien looked away when she did, seeming crestfallen.

With a deep breath, she took a few steps forward, stopping when she reached his desk. Nino was sitting there too, though it seemed like he was hardly paying attention as he leaned back in his chair, headphones on his ears. Adrien’s eyes rose up to her again, a glimmer of hope shining in their green depths.

Marinette knew he was waiting for her to say something, allowing her to make the first move. He clearly didn’t want to overstep her boundaries. But as he stared at her, his gaze unwavering, all she could manage to sputter out was three words.

“I-I brought it.”

“Huh?” He clearly didn’t expect her to say that.

“A jacket, I brought my own today,” she began, pulling her backpack off her shoulder. “You can have yours back.” Marinette pulled out the folded material, setting it on the desk in front of him.

“Right,” he said, the events of yesterday coming back to him as he pulled the bundle into his lap, “thanks.” Marinette was starting to get Déjà vu from how many times they had exchanged the coat.

“Also,” she took a deep breath, preparing herself mentally, “I want to talk to you after school.”

Adrien’s head snapped up so fast it probably gave him whiplash. “Really?”

“Y-yeah.” His sudden movement caught her off guard, causing her to jump.

“Where do you want to meet?”

“Are the steps out front okay?”

“Yeah!” He exclaimed a little too quickly, “That’s perfect.”

“Okay, I'll see you then.” With that, Marinette walked to her seat behind him. Alya was in her own seat already, having watched the whole exchange. She gave Marinette an encouraging look, which Marinette returned.

 

She hoped today wouldn’t be a disaster.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! Like I said in my note (that I deleted), I had some personal stuff to take care of. Thank you all for supporting me for so long! <3
> 
> Leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed!


	11. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MMMMM things are happening!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOO! I AM BACK! 
> 
> So, for those of you who don't know/didn't see the notice I posted, I have been very ill the last few months (don't worry, I actually went to the doctor today and I'm doing much better). I tried to write as much as I could, but my energy and creativity were completely slaughtered. But I'm back now and I really hope that the wait was worth it!  
> Also, Advantageous Arrangements reached its one year anniversary last month! I wanted to make this chapter longer in celebration of that but I felt like it was best to end it where I did (It's still about 2-3 pages longer than my normal chapters though). I hope I can get a jump start on chapter 12 though!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has continued reading and supporting me through this, it means so much to me. Without further ado, here is the long-awaited chapter 11! Enjoy!

 

She just _had_ to jinx it.

 

Marinette slumped into her seat, trying to keep her focus on the exam in front of her. However, solving math problems is difficult when there’s five and a half feet of pure, blonde evil glaring daggers your way. She groaned quietly, only loud enough for Alya to assume she was frustrated with the test.

Chloé had returned from her suspension a day early. Apparently, she _really_ wanted to make sure she didn’t miss this exam. Marinette highly doubted that. There were two things that Chloé Bourgeois cared about: herself and making Marinette’s life a living hell.

She sighed, attempting to return her attention to the paper on her desk. At least she could take solace in the fact that Chloé couldn’t start anything right now. She just prayed that would last until the end of the day.

 _Oh god, how am I going to deal with Adrien?_ Marinette rested her head in her hand, tapping her pencil on the table. _I know I told Alya and Chat that I would forgive him, but this is going to be one of the most awkward conversations of my life._

 

_“You don’t have to forget. Forgiveness doesn’t have to mean forgetting or ignoring something, it’s accepting what happened and learning from it.”_

 

Marinette thought back to Chat’s words from the night before. She smiled softly from behind her palm, thinking of their meaning over and over. The thought of his voice calmed her nerves—as if he was really there to reassure her. _Who knew my kitty could be so insightful?_

After thirty minutes, most of the class had finished the exam. After reviewing her answers, Marinette stood and walked to the front of the room, setting her paper on Mme. Mendeliev’s desk. As she walked back to her seat, she caught a small bit of movement out of the corner of her eye.

 

**_WHAM!_ **

 

Marinette’s vision went black, swimming with stars. She felt someone reach around her and lift her upright. She realized she had fallen and was laying face down on the classroom stairs. Her sight came back slowly, light filling her field of view.

 _Woah, what was that?_ She wondered, shaking her head slightly to readjust to the world. However, it only made everything spin.

“What the hell, Chloé?!” Adrien’s voice rang in her ears, causing her head to pound.

“What?” Chloé shrieked back.

“I just saw you trip her!” As she looked around, Marinette saw Alya was holding her, propping her back on her knee.

 _“Excuse me?”_ Chloé stood up, feigning ignorance, “Why would I do that? She’s so clumsy, she probably tripped on the—”

“Oh shove it, Chloé,” Nino interrupted, kneeling beside Marinette, “Everyone knows you have it out for her.” Adrien hovered next to him, acting as a shield between Chloé and Marinette. Even Alix and Kim stood up from their seats, but they stayed at the back of the room away from the conflict.

“Everyone, _quiet!”_ Mme. Mendeliev shouted. “Back to your seats immediately!” Chloé sat back down, but the others didn’t follow as quickly.

Alya stood up, keeping one hand on Marinette’s back and the other on her arm. Marinette tried to stand, but her vision tilted, nearly causing her to fall again. Luckily, Adrien was at her side in an instant, holding her other arm to help her stand.

Alya tried to hold her upright, but she could tell something was wrong. “Marinette, are you okay?”

Adrien swiveled in front of her, peering into her face. “She’s bleeding!” He sounded alarmed, and Marinette slowly reached up to touch her forehead. Sure enough, she felt the warm, sticky sensation on her fingertips.

“I must’ve hit my head on the step,” she mumbled, trying to sound coherent. Her temple pounded with every word.

“I’m not surprised,” Nino said, looking over Adrien’s shoulder, “You went down pretty hard.”

Mme. Mendeliev pushed past the other students who were trying to get a look at Marinette and observed the situation for herself. “Oh, my... Ms. Césaire, take Ms. Dupain-Cheng to the nurse immediately. We’ll deal with the responsible party later. The rest of you, back to your tests.”

Alya nodded, attempting to help Marinette stand. Adrien and Nino stepped back, giving the girls some space. As Marinette tried to move forward, she started wobbling, and both boys lurched forward to stop her from falling again.

“Mme. Mendeliev,” Nino said, turning towards their teacher, “I don’t think she can walk. It looks like she might have a concussion.”

She stared at Marinette for a few moments, humming to herself quietly. “Very well, then. Mr. Agreste, are you capable of carrying her to the nurse’s office?”

Adrien stood up straight, still holding Marinette’s arm. “Yeah, I’ll take her right away.” Alya reluctantly passed Marinette to him. With a graceful ease, he lifted her as if she weighed nothing. Nino opened the door for them and he walked down the hallway, careful not to move her too much.

Marinette’s vision was still foggy, and she felt like passing out. She leaned her throbbing head on Adrien’s chest, unable to keep it upright much longer. She felt him cradle her head in his palm, stabilizing her and easing the pain.

They reached the nurse’s office soon after, and Adrien knocked on the door with his foot. A few moments later, she opened the door and immediately gasped. She ordered him to set her on the bed and ran to fetch some ice from the cafeteria.

Adrien got a towel and ran it under the sink, thoroughly drenching it before squeezing out the excess. He walked over and gently rubbed her forehead, washing off the rapidly-drying blood. Marinette had her eyes closed, but he knew she was awake. She flinched every time he ran the towel over the cut.

“How are you doing?” He asked quietly, being careful not to speak too loud.

She groaned, cracking one eye open. “The light kind of hurts my eyes, but other than that, I’m exactly how you’d expect.”

Adrien chuckled and stood to turn off some of the overhead lights. Marinette sighed in relief, allowing her eyes to finally open all the way. Adrien rinsed the towel again, this time using the coldest possible water. He sat back down next to her and set the cool cloth back on her forehead, allowing it to soothe some of the pain.

“You know,” he began with a small chuckle, “We always seem to end up here.”

Marinette closed her eyes again, relaxing as the throbbing dulled. “Yeah...You know, I probably just tripped on the stairs,” she interjected abruptly, catching Adrien by surprise.

“Marinette,” he said, glaring at her even though she couldn’t see it, “that’s bullshit and you know it. We all saw Chloé stick her foot out to trip you. It was intentional.”

She sighed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But something I’ve learned about Chloé is that attempting to get her in trouble usually only spurs her on. She’ll just try something worse next time.”

“There shouldn’t be a next time.”

Marinette opened her eyes and raised a brow at him, even though it made her head hurt. “What do you mean?”

Adrien sighed and leaned back on the bed. “I promised you that I would protect you from her.”

Marinette gave him a small smile and placed her hand on his arm. “There’s only so much you can do, Adrien. Besides, I can handle myself.

“I know, I know… But still. I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”

Marinette blinked, recalling a very similar conversation with Alya just the day before.

  


_“I’m sure he’d understand if you asked to back out, though.”_

_“Yeah, I don’t doubt that. But… I wouldn’t feel right. I made the deal and I intend to keep my end of it.”_

  


She sighed again, letting her hand fall to her side. “Yeah, I get that.” Before she could continue, the nurse rushed back in with a bag of ice.

She lifted the towel off Marinette’s head and sighed with relief. “That’s good, it looks like your bleeding stopped. I’ll give your parents a call to let them know.”

Marinette sat up, but the motion made her head swim. Regardless, she forced herself to speak. “Y-yeah, just tell them I tripped but I’m doing fine. I don’t want them to worry.”

The nurse nodded, setting the bag of ice next to Marinette to use when she was ready. Adrien lifted the towel again and tossed it in the sink, unsure of where else to put it. He set the ice on Marinette’s head slowly, making sure not to surprise her with the temperature. She hissed as the ice touched her skin, but allowed Adrien to continue. Almost immediately the pain subsided, and Marinette relaxed again. Adrien smiled, watching her face morph to bliss.

“You should rest,” he said, adjusting the bag slightly.

Marinette hummed, seemingly in agreement. She already seemed to be drifting, but Adrien was pretty sure that was because of the concussion. Against his better judgment, he let his hand fall to her soft hair, where he stroked it gently. He noticed how her head tilted to meet his palm, allowing him to pet her further.

“You know,” she mumbled, “You’ve… Gotten a lot softer… since we met.” Adrien blinked, unsure of how to respond to that. It was true, but he hadn’t noticed until she mentioned it. Instead, he continued running his fingers through her hair, lulling her to sleep with his gentle movements.

Within minutes, Adrien was positive she was out cold. As softly as he could, he pulled the blankets up over her still form, tucking her in. He gave her hand a quick squeeze, smiling down at her as he did.

He tiptoed out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He took a deep breath in, slumping down to the floor with his back against the wall and his head in his hands.

However, there was one thing that didn’t go unnoticed by him, something he felt quite often when thinking about a certain lady of his.

 

The ever-present drumming of his heart.

 

* * *

 

Marinette awoke several hours later, blinking the sleep away from her eyes. She sat up and felt something fall from her head and realized it was a new bag of ice. _Huh, the nurse must have replaced it while I was sleeping,_ she thought.

With a groan, Marinette swung her legs over the side of the bed. She realized her vision was normal again and her head didn’t pound as much. As she stood, the nurse came into the room, holding a clipboard and a bottle of pills.

“Oh good!” She exclaimed, “You’re awake. I have some medicine for you, it should help with the pain.” She got Marinette a glass of water and handed her the pills, making sure the girl stayed near the bed. After Marinette took the medicine, the nurse sat her down and shined a light in her eyes, making sure her pupils dilated. When everything seemed fine, she handed Marinette another new bag of ice.

“Well, you seem fine,” she concluded, “You probably had a slight concussion. You might feel some pain for a few days, but overall you should be alright. Take ibuprofen to help with the headaches.”

Marinette nodded, taking the ice and applying it to her head again. “Should I be okay to go back to class?”

The nurse glanced at her watch, humming quietly. “Well, there’s only an hour left until school is out—you slept for most of the day. If you’d like, you can stay here and rest until it’s time to go home.”

Marinette nodded, smiling at the woman. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

The nurse smiled back, taking the old ice bags to the sink. “Let me know if you need anything else, okay? Oh, and a friend of yours dropped by earlier to bring in your bag. Her name was Alya, I think. I put it next to the bed.”

Marinette glanced down at her backpack, thanking the nurse. She reached down and unzipped it, pulling out her cellphone. She sent a quick text to Alya and her parents (both of which had texted her several times), letting them know she was alright. After a few minutes of silence, she remembered Alya would be in P.E. right now and wouldn’t have her phone with her. Additionally, her parents were probably down in the bakery.

 _Oh well, she’ll see it after school, I guess. I’ll tell Maman and Papa when I get home._ Marinette went to return her phone to her backpack but stopped at the last second. She debated sending a message to Adrien and Chat. Ultimately, she decided on one.

 

Tuesday - 2:13 PM 

 

**_Ladybug is now online._ **

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Hey kitty, you there?_

 

**_Chat Noir is now online._ **

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Hey LB! Yeah, just in study hall._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Oh. Shouldn’t you be, I dunno, studying? :P_

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Nah, I don’t really need it. Besides, study hall is just an excuse to fill in a time slot when there are no other classes for you to take._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Can’t argue with that logic._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _So what’s up? You don’t normally text me during school hours._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Not much, I’ve got some free time to kill too. Was just wondering if you’d like to talk._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Aw, does My Lady miss me? :3_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Maybe… ;)_

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Wait wot o_o_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Just kidding. :P_

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Me-ouch. The lady hath hurteth me._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Was that supposed to be Shakespearean? -.-_

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Hey, I tried. Go easy on me._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _You know I’ve never been one to go easy on you._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _True, true. Speaking of, wanna play later? I can teach you more about that MMO._

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Been a crazy week._

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Same here. I’ll hop on tonight at around 6, you in?_

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _You know it. :)_

 

 **_Chat Noir:_ ** _Then I’ll see you soon, Bugaboo. ;3_

 

**_Chat Noir is now offline._ **

**__ **

 

* * *

 

An hour later, Marinette was sitting on the front steps of the school, tucking her shivering hands into her coat for warmth. She didn’t see Adrien anywhere and had just bid farewell to Alya and Nino. Apparently, the two of them were walking home together. Marinette raised an eyebrow at her friend when she told her but decided to refrain from any teasing until later when she could text Alya.

 _Nino was pretty cool earlier when he gave Chloé an earful. Maybe Alya liked what she saw._ Marinette smirked from under her scarf, thinking of the prospect of the two of them being together. Admittedly, they would make a very cute couple.

As she let her mind swirl with other thoughts, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Whipping around, she traced the arm upwards and saw it connected to the very person she was waiting for. Adrien gave her a small smile, reaching up to rub his neck.

“Hey,” he said, averting his gaze slightly, “sorry for making you wait.”

Marinette smiled back, albeit a bit awkwardly. “It’s fine. I wasn’t out here too long.”

“How’s your head?”

She touched the small cut on her forehead, pleased to find it wasn’t throbbing anymore. “I’m fine, some rest and plenty of ice did wonders.”

“That’s good.” In one fluid movement, more graceful than a person had the right to be, he circled around to face her and held his hand out to assist her in standing. She took it hesitantly, but to her surprise, Adrien jolted at the contact as he lifted her. “Marinette! You’re freezing!”

She put her hands in front of her mouth, blowing hot air on them. “I’m fine, my hands just get cold sometimes.”

Adrien raised an annoyed brow at her. “Uh, huh. _Suuuure.”_ He took her hand in his, not waiting to ask for her permission. He led her to his car that was parked on the curb, opening the door swiftly for her. She climbed in, wondering if he was going to take her somewhere. Instead, he turned on the engine and turned up the heater.

Marinette waited a few seconds before speaking. “Are we going somewhere?”

Adrien flicked his eyes to her confused expression, leaning back in his seat. “No, I just wanted to get you somewhere warm.”

“You know, we could have just gone inside.”

“Eh,” he wrinkled his nose, “too many people in there. Plus, who wants to risk running into Chloé?”

“That—” Marinette began, tapping her chin with her finger, “...Is an excellent point, actually.”

Adrien smirked, folding his hands behind his head. However, as quickly as his relaxed expression came, it fell. He took a breath in an exhaled through his nose, releasing the tension from his shoulders. “Marinette, I—”

“Look,” she interrupted, trying to get as much out as possible before her courage failed her, “I know you’re sorry, and my reason for talking wasn’t to get an apology out of you. I just want to let you know what my stance is on… what happened.”

He sighed again, leaning forward to rest his head on the wheel. “Marinette, I don’t think you know just how sorry I am.”

Although she wanted to say what she needed to first, her curiosity was piqued. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve barely been able to sleep the last few days. What I did was such an unbelievable dick move, I’m surprised that you were even willing to speak to me.”

“I mean, you’re not wrong…” She mumbled as she turned towards the window, placing her cheek on the cold glass. “But… I forgive you.”

Adrien shot up, turning to face her so quickly it nearly gave him whiplash. “You… what?”

“I said I forgive you. What you did was wrong, but I know that you didn’t mean to hurt me.”

He was quiet for a few seconds before he faced forward again. “I… I never would. I honestly can’t believe what I did to you.”

Marinette placed her hand on his arm and gave him a soft smile. “It’s okay, Adrien. It was hard for me, but I understand that people make mistakes.”

He placed his warm palm on her still-cold one, letting his gratitude show through his touch. “Thank you, Marinette. I don’t deserve it.”

Her smile widened, causing her cheeks to turn a lovely shade of pink. Adrien stared, admittedly longer than he should have. He couldn’t help it—how had he managed to befriend someone as wonderful as her? Yes, he regretted what he did, yet also didn’t. Rather, his remorse stemmed from the fact that he hurt her and pretended she was Ladybug. But something had changed after that incredible spark-filled moment they shared together.

 _When did I start thinking about Marinette this way?_ Adrien debated internally. _I already screwed things up with her. I’m lucky she even wants to be around me right now._  While he was lost in thought, Marinette’s expression turned to one of worry.

“Uh, Adrien? You okay?” She tapped him gently, rousing him from his stupor.

“Y-Yeah!” He exclaimed, sitting up quickly. “Just lost in thought.”

Her bright blue eyes peered into his, scrutinizing him carefully. It was much too close for Adrien’s heart to handle, and he almost feared she could see the nervousness in his face.

“Hm… If you say so.” Marinette leaned back in her seat, sighing as the warm air brushed her cheeks again. “I should get home soon, my parents are probably worried about me.”

“Yeah, I shouldn’t keep you too long. Want me to drive you?”

Marinette raised a brow at him, attempting to stifle a laugh. “You… do remember I live across the street, right?”

“I—Uh… Right.” Adrien didn’t know how to play that off. His cheeks darkened slightly in embarrassment. Perhaps he just wanted to have a few more moments alone with Marinette before she had to leave.

Try as she might, Marinette couldn’t hold in the giggle that escaped her. “How cute,” she teased, prodding his cheek with her finger. To her amusement, that only made the color even deeper. He pouted, looking away out the window to shield his face with his hair.

“Shut up, I was just trying to be polite.”

“Sure you were.” Marinette giggled again, a sound that rang like little bells in his ears. She opened the car door, shivering at the blast of cold air that hit her. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Adrien waved at her and smiled. “Yeah, see you then.”

She shut the door and began walking towards the bakery, tightening her scarf as she moved forward. When she arrived, her parents immediately rushed to her, checking to see if she was alright. When she explained what happened (although, she left out the part about Chloé being the one to trip her), they were relieved that she only had a small injury.

“Marinette,” Tom said, resting his hand on his daughter’s shoulder, “you should go rest. If you’d like, we can bring you some cookies and milk in a while. They’re almost out of the oven.”

Marinette smiled, giving her father a small hug. “Thank you, Papa. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

After her parents returned to their work, Marinette headed upstairs and plopped down on her chaise as soon as she reached her room. She pulled her phone out of her bag and tossed it on the floor, hearing the thud of the books inside.

 _Is this really a good idea?_ She wondered. After a moment of internal debate, she turned her phone on resolutely, before she lost her courage and backed out. She opened Skype and clicked on the familiar cat icon, opening the long thread of messages for the second time that day.

 

Tuesday - 2:13 PM 

 

**Ladybug is now online.**

 

 **_Ladybug:_ ** _Chat, I think I’m ready to answer your questions._

_**** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOH, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN???
> 
> Like I said before, thank you SO much for supporting me, it means the world to hear your feedback and to see people enjoying something I've created.
> 
> If you enjoyed, leave a comment/kudos to let me know! <3


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